Podego and Kids in Museums Launch Pilot to Co-create Interactive Digital Experience for Teen Visitors
Introducing pilot project co-created with youth panels from four UK museums aims to build a scalable, gamified digital experience for visitors aged 11–17
Podego, the audience development platform for cultural institutions, today announces a pilot project in partnership with Kids in Museums to design and launch a self-guided, gamified digital tour experience for teen museum visitors aged 11–17.
What sets this pilot apart is simple: it is being built with young people, not just for them.
Why teens? Why now?
Our mission at Podego has always been to help museums connect with untapped audiences. For too long, the cultural sector has overlooked one of its most vital groups: young people aged 11 to 17. One of the pilot applicants said,
“We want to move beyond occasional projects and build a more consistent, digital layer across our sites - one that supports curiosity, agency and ownership for visitors aged 12+. Joining this programme would accelerate this ambition and help us confidently evolve into a more digitally responsive museum service.”
This isn’t a group that’s uninterested in culture. They’re curious, opinionated, and deeply engaged with the world around them. Museums just haven’t always known how to meet them where they are. That’s the gap we’re here to close.
“Museums are gatekeepers of heritage and extraordinary stories, but too often young people don’t see themselves as part of that world. This pilot is about changing that; not by telling teens what to enjoy, but by building something with them.”
— Danna Mulya, Co-Founder, Podego
Why audio gamification?
Audio gamification adds a rich layer of interpretation that invites visitors to dive deeper into the collection. Beyond being highly scalable and versatile, it offers personalized storytelling that empowers visitors to follow their own curiosity.
“Audio gamification is a practical and scalable way to modernise our interpretation, strengthen relevance for teenage audiences, and build a more dynamic digital foundation for the future.”
Shifting visitors from passive observers to active participants.
By layering gameplay, branching choices, and short-form storytelling over our collections, we transform the visitor experience. We shift teens from passive observers to active participants, giving them permission to explore, compete, and collaborate in a digital environment that mirrors the platforms they already enjoy.
The interactivity of the digital tool in this project will be specifically designed to accommodate and empower visitors as active participants of their own museum journey.
Meet the pilot museums
We are collaborating with a range of fantastic UK museums, with further announcements to follow. This diversity ensures the experience is both scalable and applicable across various museum settings. Our first case studies:
Royal Museums Greenwich
Wakefield Museums and Castles
They have been selected among some applicants as the first case studies, based on their commitment to youth engagement. By partnering with a mix of museums, we can ensure the technology is versatile and robust.
Each institution will host focus groups with their youth panels (ages 12–17) to guide the project’s direction. We’ve made it a priority to hear every participant's voice before development even starts.
Youth voice at every stage
We believe that to build for teens, you have to build with teens. That’s why our Youth Panels are at the heart of this process from start to finish. They aren't just testing the final product; they are shaping the vision at every milestone.
To kick off the pilot, Podego has developed three distinct gamified concepts. Every museum’s youth panels will evaluate these directions and decide which two have the most potential to move into production:
Scavenger Hunt
A discovery trail that presents clues and challenges that guide visitors to each collection
Climb the Leaderboard
A points-based experience that rewards curiosity and deeper engagement with collections. This allows them to explore the museum at their own pace.
Make Your Own Way
A customisable pathway that lets visitors craft a personalised journey through the museum, followed by their personal interest.
While the youth panels lead the direction, Kids in Museums will act as a strategic advisor throughout the process. Their deep expertise in advocating for young people within cultural spaces ensures we can effectively integrate these innovative projects into the museum setting.
Launching in summer 2026
The pilot project will wrap up across all museums by June 2026. By then, museums, youth panel and Podego will work closely in phases, from ideation, development and implementation.
Our goal is a proven, scalable digital tool that any museum can use to genuinely engage teens visitors. While we are starting with these specific sites, the ultimate goal of this pilot is to create a blueprint for the wider sector.
This pilot is the beginning. We’re going to be sharing the pilot journey as we go. Stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter.
Follow the journey
We’ll be sharing updates on the process, the young people shaping it, and what we’re learning along the way.
About Podego
Podego is on a mission to help cultural institutions connect with untapped audiences. Through audience development tools, strategic insight, and co-creation with communities, Podego helps museums, galleries, and heritage organisations reach the visitors who have never thought their doors were open to them.
