Streakers, Strollers, and Scholars:
What museum behaviour teaches us about designing experiences
When I visit museums, I often find myself watching people as much as I do the exhibits.
Some move quickly, glancing at a few key pieces, catching a headline or a hero image before moving on. Some take their time, letting instinct guide them from room to room, drawn to details they didn’t expect. And some go deep — reading wall texts, absorbing every curatorial nuance, often still in the same room long after others have passed through.
These patterns aren’t random. They’ve been studied for decades.
The terms Streakers, Strollers, and Scholars come from visitor research in the museum world - first coined by museum theorists like John Falk and Lynn Dierking, who explored how personal context shapes engagement. But their relevance stretches far beyond gallery walls.
In the Experience Economy, where what matters is not just what people see or buy, but how they feel and remember it, these three types show up everywhere - in retail spaces, digital interfaces, architectural walkthroughs, and branded environments.
Some audiences want immediacy: a visual hit, an emotional cue, something that resonates fast and instinctively. Some want to explore: to click, to wander, to test, to discover.
And some want depth: the context, the data, the story behind the story. ’It’s not about attention span. It’s about attention style.
The more we understand that, the better we design.
The most compelling experiences don’t assume a single type of user. They’re layered. They allow for different speeds, different entry points, and different intentions. They make space for the streaker’s glance, the stroller’s curiosity, and the scholar’s focus - without requiring one to become the other.
This principle is something we often return to at Tomorrowspace, not as a checklist, but as a mindset. Designing experiences that engage emotionally, allow for exploration, and reward curiosity.
Because when something is built with all three in mind, it doesn’t just communicate. It connects, on someone’s own terms.
