In the first semester of the 2022/23 academic year, the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) course led by Judit Bényei, with the participation of members of the Studio, focused on examining the newly inaugurated permanent exhibition “Sound Dimensions” at the House of Hungarian Music, and more specifically the wide variety of digital applications used throughout the exhibition.

For MOME students, the collaboration with the institution offered several forms of added value:

• Implementation of learning-by-doing: applying a real problem situation as the basis of learning.
• Familiarisation with the exhibition of the House of Hungarian Music, which is unique in terms of the complexity of its digital applications.
• Exploring the effectiveness and visitor impact of digital applications, an innovative and novel research challenge.
• Students gained first‑hand, comprehensive research experience, and independently reflected on their findings.

A total of 13 students enrolled in the course, representing both design and theory programmes. They contributed to all stages of the research process: developing the research design, defining the focus and research questions, designing and validating the measurement tools, conducting data collection (observations and interviews), and analysing and interpreting the empirical data using data‑visualisation methods (introduced by Mihály Minkó, a staff member of the Information Centre).

The students collected data on 35 digital applications (out of a total of 45). Both the empirical results and the students’ nuanced, often more critical observations—far beyond those of an “average” visitor—provided valuable and unique feedback for the exhibition, forming a potential basis for its planned revision. Kőhalmi Anett uses the further developed version of the research methodology designed for the study at other locations as well in her doctoral research.

Overall, the RDI course created a shared platform for students and contributing instructors across the Academy (design and theory programmes at BA and MA levels), the Information Centre, and the Doctoral School.