Philips design expertise optimises the Rijksmuseum visitor experience
Publication date: 18 June 2026 - 07:34
The Rijksmuseum and Philips have partnered to optimise the visitor experience at the museum. The insights obtained through their research contribute to making the museum’s presentations more accessible. The approach taken is based on the unique research methodology expertise that Philips Experience Design developed in hospital settings. Design is one of Philips’ areas of expertise, alongside innovation, and through this partnership it shares this knowledge with the museum.
At Philips, we leverage innovation and design to enable better care for more people. We use this knowledge and experience in our collaboration with the Rijksmuseum. By sharing our expertise in design and user experience, we contribute to a museum that is more accessible. We are proud of this partnership, in which technology, design and culture come together to connect more people with art and heritage.
Marnix van Ginneken, Legal Officer Royal Philips
People often think of design as being mainly about making objects very attractive – such as a car, a pen, or another item – but design is also a way of thinking. That is why we have collaborated on optimising visitor flows with Philips. Their expertise complements ours, and by looking beyond our own field of expertise, we become a better museum.
Taco Dibbits, General Director Rijksmuseum
Insights for a better visitor experience
The designers at Philips helped the Rijksmuseum by providing advice on the visitor experience and how it can be further improved. We applied a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to obtain as complete a picture as possible of the visitor experience. The work drew on design principles for user experience and customer journey mapping, using interviews, behavioural analysis and observations to map out the entire visitor journey – from home to the museum.
This work has enabled the Rijksmuseum to better put itself in the position of its visitors. Among the insights gained is that visitors with children do not usually plan their visit in advance, and a number of recommendations have already been implemented in practice. During school holidays, for example, there is now a family desk in the museum where an informational video helps prepare visitors for their visit. Philips also brought its expertise in hospital wayfinding systems into the museum setting. We intend to draw on this knowledge in the future to optimise signage.
About the Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands, connecting everyone with Dutch art and history. The collection presents a comprehensive view of Dutch art and history from the Middle Ages to the present, and includes notable aspects of European and Asian art. Through the more than 8,000 works on display – including world-renowned masterpieces by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Leyster and Vermeer – visitors experience a sense of time and beauty.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company with a focus on improving people’s health and well-being through innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centred innovations use advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to provide personal health solutions for consumers as well as technology for healthcare providers and their patients, in hospitals and at home.
Philips is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and IT solutions, as well as in personal health. Philips achieved revenue of 18 billion euros in 2025. The company has approximately 64,800 employees worldwide and operates in more than 100 countries. The company’s headquarters are located in the Netherlands. News about Philips can be found on its news centre: philips.com/news .