Museums as Progress (MaP) is a community research and development firm. We help cultural organizations define their strategic purpose, prioritize community goals, and identify opportunities to support those goals through progress-space research.

Purpose

What if people don’t want to be engaged by your museum?

Point of View
A cartoon dog sits at a table in a room engulfed in flames and smoke, with a caption reading, "This is engaging.

Fires are engaging.

Illustration of a phrenologist model head with sections labeled for different thoughts such as TV, travel, and news. The head has red blotchy rashes on it. A hand reaches up to scratch the rash.

A mysterious rash

is engaging.

An gif shows a phrenology model head rising from under the covers, smoking, in the style of Philip Guston.

How often do you wake up hoping to be “engaged” by an institution?

Never

Because engagement is an organizational goal.

Never

Because engagement is only a byproduct of a person’s progress toward achieving a goal, not an end in itself.

Engagement without progress is meaningless.

Focusing on engagement can distract from more fundamental objectives and undermine museums’ impact. Rather than (or before) focusing on engaging audiences, museums can prioritize people’s goals.

Everyone has goals they’re trying to address. Goals can be long-term or short-lived; We can be more or less conscious of our goals. Goals can be situational (“I need to entertain my in-laws this weekend” or “I’m bored. What can I do today?”) or enduring and identity-driven (“How can I cultivate my child’s curiosity and love of learning?”). Museums are positioned to support some goals better than others, and each museum can choose which goals it wants to prioritize based on its mission.

When someone addresses a goal, they are engaged. Engagement is the shadow people cast when they’re trying to make progress toward a goal. Engagement is agonistic. A person can be engaged without making progress toward their goal. Failure can be just as engaging as success. Engagement is an effect, not a cause, and we use progress-space research as a tool to help museums focus on causes.

Relevance is similar to engagement. Museums strive for relevance just as they try to engage audiences even though no one is looking for things that are Relevant or Engaging. An organization is relevant only to the extent that it supports a person’s goal. Relevance, like engagement, is a byproduct of progress. Museums as Progress helps museums understand what fuels engagement and relevance by integrating progress-space research principles into their strategic decision-making.

Definitions

Progress: forward or onward movement toward a goal or desired state. “Museums as Progress” refers to museums as solutions that can support people’s goals.

Engagement: involvement, commitment, and attention devoted to a person, object, or event. Engagement is neither good nor bad in itself. For example, a person can be engaged when planning a birthday party or a robbery. Both can be engaging activities.

Our Approach

We operate seasonally, with focused periods of learning and integration followed by intentional breaks for reflection. This structure ensures sustained progress while preventing burnout — a practical example of prioritizing meaningful transformation over constant engagement. Each season explores a theme that grounds abstract principles in practical application, from Leadership to Listening, Mapping to Motivation.

Through three core labs, we move principles into practice:

  • Strategy Lab tests frameworks for progress-focused planning

  • Opportunity Research Lab uncovers how people pursue their goals

  • Integration Lab translates insights into institutional action

People

Our Team

  • Kyle Bowen with short brown hair, a beard, and blue eyes is smiling at the camera. He is wearing a blue sweater and a checkered shirt. The background is a plain light blue color.

    Kyle Bowen, Principal

    Kyle is the founder of Museums as Progress. He helps cultural organizations redefine their strategic purpose and support community goals through innovative progress-space research. With expertise in user experience and research methodologies, Kyle cultivates a vibrant community of practice for museum professionals. His approach shifts museums from product-centric to people-centric strategies, increasing their relevance and impact. Through MaP, Kyle fosters a collaborative network that drives positive change in the cultural sector.

  • John Falk wearing a black cap and shirt, standing against a plain background.

    Dr. John Falk, Value Realization Partner

    John reframes how museums demonstrate their value through his groundbreaking research on free-choice learning — the learning that occurs when people have significant choice and control over the what, where, and when of their experiences. John is the Founder and CEO of the Institute for Learning Innovation and Emeritus Sea Grant Professor at Oregon State University. His work reveals how cultural institutions support public wellbeing by fostering curiosity, personal growth, and enhanced physical and mental health. John’s research is transforming how museums understand and validate their impact on communities.

  • Rosie Siemer, Strategic Research Partner

    Rosie is the founder of FIVESEED, a research and strategy partner for arts, culture, and conservation organizations. Rosie has guided dozens of museums in developing data-informed strategies to deepen audience engagement and build financial sustainability. Rosie authored Museum Membership Innovation and co-authored Membership Marketing in the Digital Age. She frequently facilitates workshops on audience development and speaks on choice architecture and the future of membership.