{"id":609,"date":"2024-09-11T10:56:12","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T09:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/?p=609"},"modified":"2025-10-06T10:56:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T09:56:49","slug":"enhancing-visitor-experience-at-canterbury-cathedral-a-signage-audit-by-ari-kamara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/2024\/09\/11\/enhancing-visitor-experience-at-canterbury-cathedral-a-signage-audit-by-ari-kamara\/","title":{"rendered":"Enhancing Visitor Experience at Canterbury Cathedral: A Signage Audit by Ari Kamara"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canterbury Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is always looking for ways to improve its visitor experience. As part of the University of Kent\u2019s <\/span>Student Impact Challenge<\/span>, undergraduate student Ari Kamara (History of Art) took on a project to audit the Cathedral\u2019s signage and interpretation around its grounds. The aim was to assess whether better, more engaging signage could enhance the experience for visitors. Ari worked closely with Pixie Adhemar, Collections Officer, and Alexia Taylor, Visitor Experience Officer, throughout the project.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Project Overview<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Signage and interpretation are essential in guiding visitors and helping them understand the historical and cultural significance of a site. Ari\u2019s project focused on evaluating the effectiveness of Canterbury Cathedral\u2019s existing signs and interpreting how information is presented to the public. The audit aimed to address a key question: <\/span>Could improved and more engaging signage offer visitors a more immersive and meaningful experience at the Cathedral?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ari\u2019s Approach<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ari began by conducting research into accessible interpretation \u2013 how museums and heritage sites communicate information to diverse audiences. Following this, Ari took a hands-on approach, photographing all the signage in and around the Cathedral grounds.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The audit was detailed, covering key aspects such as the topic, word count, and font size of each sign. Ari then organised the findings into an audit report spreadsheet, providing a comprehensive overview of the current signage. To enrich the analysis, feedback was also collected from Cathedral volunteers regarding potential improvements to the visitor experience through enhanced signage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“My Student Impact Project involved auditing the signage and interpretation of Canterbury Cathedral,”<\/span><\/i> Ari reflected. <\/span>“I started by photographing all the signage and then filled in the audit report with key data, such as word count and font size. I also gathered volunteer feedback on ways to improve the signage.”<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Feedback and Insights<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the conclusion of the project, Ari provided the Cathedral team with a detailed spreadsheet that included both the audit data and the feedback from volunteers. This information will serve as a valuable resource in improving how Canterbury Cathedral communicates its history and significance to its visitors.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“This project was beneficial to me as I got a chance to see the inner workings of a heritage organisation,”<\/span><\/i> Ari shared. <\/span>“I also learned more about the importance of accessibility in signage and what makes good interpretation in museums and heritage sites.”<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Step Forward for Visitor Experience<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ari\u2019s work contributes to Canterbury Cathedral\u2019s ongoing efforts to enhance the visitor experience. By evaluating the current signage and gathering volunteer insights, the project highlights potential improvements that could help visitors engage more deeply with the site\u2019s history.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This project, part of the <\/span>Student Impact Challenge,<\/span> is one of many initiatives aimed at connecting University of Kent students with real-world opportunities to apply their academic knowledge. Through these projects, students gain hands-on experience while making a tangible difference in the community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Canterbury Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is always looking for ways to improve its visitor experience. As part of the University of Kent\u2019s Student … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78384,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[223276],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78384"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":610,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609\/revisions\/610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}