Ed Rodley

Ed Rodley is Co-Founder & Principal of The Experience Alchemists and an award-winning museum experience designer. For more than 35 years, he has developed visitor-centered exhibitions and projects that integrate emerging technologies and advance informal learning. A recognized leader in digital transformation, Ed has spoken internationally, including a keynote at the National Digital Forum 2023 in New Zealand, and was named one of Blooloop’s 50 Museum Influencers in 2021. He teaches museum experience design at the Harvard Extension School and is the author of Designing for Playful Engagement in Museums (Routledge).

Ed Rodley will be speaking at the MuseumNext Forecast Summit 2025 :

Beyond Best Practices: Disruption and the Future of Museums

In a world of compounding crises, museums can no longer rely on outdated structures or static definitions of success. This presentation invites viewers to explore how disruption can be a starting point, not an endpoint, for meaningful change. Guided by Hillary Spencer, Ed Rodley, and Jennifer Foley, we’ll unpack real-world strategies for rethinking leadership, equity, and visitor experiences from the inside out. Using frameworks like BANI and Cynefin, we’ll examine why “best practices” often fail and how adaptability, experimentation, and shared agency can help museums thrive. Leave inspired, equipped, and ready to disrupt for a better future.