The visit doesn’t end at the exit

We design visitor experiences with care and purpose—crafting moments that engage, surprise, and connect. But what happens after the visit? Once the doors close behind them, how do people carry that experience forward?

In our research at Pladia, we’ve been exploring what this post-visit experience really looks like. What do visitors take away with them? What do they do with what they’ve seen, felt, or captured? And where might there be opportunities to deepen engagement after the visit is technically "over"?

Visitors aspire to reflect—but rarely find the time

Visitors consistently express a heartfelt desire to revisit their museum experience. Many take photos, collect catalogues, or bring home postcards—small acts of preservation to help them reflect later on. But more often than not, those good intentions remain just that: intentions.

"I have often dreamed of being the person who leaves an art gallery and then makes an album of my visit."

— Museum visitor, Sydney

In reality, life picks up where the visit left off. The photos stay on the phone. The exhibition catalogue joins a growing pile. Visitors struggle to carve out the time or space to return to that moment in the museum.

"I take a lot of photos of artworks and the description. I’m always like, yeah, I’m gonna put this on my Instagram and share my visit. I never do."

— Museum visitor, Melbourne

There’s a quiet tension here: visitors genuinely want to remember and reflect. But without support or prompts, the moment slips away. And with it, the deeper engagement museums hope to foster.

Photography is THE way visitors record and share their experience

Among the many ways visitors try to remember their museum experience, photography stands out as the most universal. Visitors take photos to remember specific moments that moved them—an artwork that struck a chord, a label that taught them something, or simply the feeling of being there. For some, it’s a prompt for later research or reflection. For others, it’s a way of sharing the experience with friends and family.

"When I go to museums and galleries, if I see something I like, I will take a picture of it and I will take a picture of the write-up if it really speaks to me."

— Museum visitor, Melbourne

Photos serve many roles: they jog memory, spark conversations, and offer a means of expression. And even when they are rarely revisited, the act of taking a photo itself is a moment of engagement—marking something as personally significant. While there are other ways of remembering visits, in almost every case photography is the first instinct, the most frequent habit, and the clearest signal that a moment matters.

Personalisation matters—especially for souvenirs

Physical souvenirs still hold meaningful value for many visitors. Flyers, postcards, and catalogues are commonly collected—but these items are most cherished when they feel directly connected to the specific experience of that day. A catalogue featuring the exact exhibition that was on during their visit, for instance, carries far more emotional weight than a generic one.

"It was actually the one that we got—the actual catalogue—of the exhibitions that were there at that time when we were there. So that’s great."

— Museum visitor, Hobart

This desire for personal relevance extends into the digital realm as well. Visitors are far more likely to treasure a souvenir that includes their own presence—such as a photo, video, or digital artefact that captures them engaging with the space.

"You could make little videos of yourself… I went with my dad, we made a cute little video. I got a printout of a flipbook. It was really cute."

— Museum visitor, Melbourne

Whether physical or digital, souvenirs that feel tailored to the individual—not just the institution—are far more likely to endure as meaningful mementos.

Reflection is time-sensitive

Many visitors express a strong desire to explore museum content further—but that window of interest is short. For most, the impulse to reflect, research, or share their experience fades within just a few days. Beyond that brief window, life quickly takes over.

"Often I’ll go home on the tram and look up that artist some more."

— Museum visitor, Melbourne

Timing is everything. Visitors are most open to revisiting their experience in the immediate aftermath, when impressions are fresh and emotional connections are still strong. Opportunities to extend engagement should meet them in that moment: timely, lightweight, and meaningful. Waiting too long means missing the moment entirely.

Designing for the afterglow

So what should we do with these insights?

It’s clear that post-visit engagement isn’t just a "nice to have"—it’s a meaningful extension of the visitor experience. But content designed to support reflection shouldn’t rely on long-term motivation or delayed action. It should meet people in the natural afterglow of their visit—within hours or days, not weeks.

1. Design for the next 48 hours

Send a takeaway or prompt while the experience is still fresh. After a few days, even a passionate visitor may not return.

2. Make it personal

Generic summaries don’t stick. An exhibition guide is less meaningful than a single photo the visitor took themselves, or a prompt like "3 moments you loved".

3. Support light-touch reflection

Not every visitor wants to read a 50-page catalogue. But they might read a caption, share a quote, or reflect on one thing they learned—if it’s surfaced at the right time, in the right format.

4. Celebrate the memento-maker

Some visitors already create their own reflections—albums, travel blogs, personal notes. Could we amplify this behaviour by giving them tools that support creation, not just consumption?

There’s a valuable opportunity here for cultural organisations to design with the whole visitor journey in mind, not just the time spent within gallery walls. Because while the ticket may expire, the experience doesn’t. Visitors carry it with them—through photos, stories, and souvenirs—and with the right approach, we can help them carry it further.

At Pladia, we’re continually learning and co-designing with our customers and your visitors. If you’d like to be involved in the next evolution of our post-visit experience work, get in touch.