Meaningful Measurements Point ‘True North’
This post is part of a series responding to the top 15 questions that museum, heritage, and tourism leaders are asking about thriving in a time of change.
Rethinking Traditional Interpretation: Can We Measure the Impact of Live Programs in a Way That Matters?
We’ve all heard the question: “But how do you measure impact?”
It’s a fair ask. Funders want to know if their dollars made a difference. Boards want proof the public program is worth the investment. And interpreters—well, we just want to know if we reached someone. Did we move them?
The trouble is, most traditional metrics don’t really tell us what matters.
We can count how many people attended. We can track how long they stayed. We might even gather a few comment cards (if they don’t blow away in the wind). But attendance isn’t impact. “Nice program!” isn’t transformation. And “the kids had fun” is lovely… but is that why we trained our teams to handle nuance, tension, and complexity?
We need a shift—from measuring output to capturing outcome.
So how do we measure what matters in live interpretation?
1. Get clear on what you’re actually trying to do.
Interpretation is never just about conveying facts. It’s about sparking thought, curiosity, connection—maybe even behavior change. If we don’t define what “success” looks like beyond attendance, stars, or ‘likes’, we’re left trying to measure smoke with a yardstick.
Start by identifying what kind of impact you hope your program has. Do you want people to reconsider a belief? Feel more connected to a place? Talk about what they learned with someone else later? Great. That’s your North Star.
2. Focus on the Observable
Once you know the impact you seek, what would be observable behaviors that show you whether or not you have been successful?
If you are trying to get people to think - can you set up circumstances for them to share their thoughts without asking leading questions?
If caring is your goal - how might they safely express or illustrate their feelings?
If your ultimate goal is a new behavior that will take place after your visitor returns home, what action might they take right there with you that would be a good indicator of future action?
Not only are these measurement tools useful tracking your success, research shows that but that when visitors perform some sort of immediate act, it helps anchor that new thought, feeling, or commitment to action.
3. Ask better questions—and ask them right.
Post-program evaluations often ask people what they learned. But for most of us, learning isn’t what sticks—it’s what shifted. Consider that North Star you just identified and then try to find questions that prompt visitor conclusions like:
What surprised you?
What are you still thinking about?
Did anything you heard today challenge something you believed before?
Who are you going to tell about this experience?
These aren’t just questions—they’re impact indicators. And they don’t need to come via QR code or clipboard. Ask them aloud. Invite people to contribute to a feedback wall. Let people answer on sticky notes, rocks, audio messages—whatever fits your vibe.
4. Observe the unspoken.
Interpretive impact often shows up in quiet ways: the tear someone wipes away. The moment someone lingers after a program to talk. The group of friends still discussing your program in the parking lot. These moments aren’t “data” in the traditional sense—but they are evidence. Consider training your team to document these qualitative cues right after a program. What did that person who lingered ask about or share? Capture it. Overheard comments? Capture them. Comments on a social channel or via a community forum on your website? Track it! Over time you are gaining qualitative gold - audience insights about your program. How many of those align with your North Star?
5. Keep exploring.
Real impact shows up over time. If you can, check in with participants later. A simple follow-up email asking what stayed with them is gold. If that’s not doable, talk with returning visitors. Ask staff what repeat guests are saying. Finally - play with this, and keep exploring until you find what works. We are trying to measure the ephemeral - whether or not something has become meaningful enough to move toward your true north. It make take a few tries before you find something that works. Allow yourself to get out of the box with your attempts to measure and see what happens.Impact doesn’t always show up immediately—but it does show up.
At the end of the day, interpretation is about meaning-making. And meaning doesn’t always fit in a spreadsheet.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t capture it.
Point your compass north, and look in the right places.