Souvenir Idea For
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, housed in the historic Carnegie Mansion on New York City's Museum Mile, is America's only museum dedicated exclusively to historic and contemporary design. With over 210,000 objects spanning 3,000 years, the collection includes groundbreaking works in graphic design, industrial design, furniture, textiles, and decorative arts. The museum features interactive digital experiences, including the innovative Pen technology that allows visitors to collect and save their favorite designs. Cooper Hewitt champions design as a vital humanistic tool for understanding and shaping the world, offering engaging exhibitions that explore how design impacts daily life. Now, with arTag™ Smart Souvenir Coins featuring NFC technology and AR guide service, visitors can take home an interactive custom souvenir that extends their museum experience far beyond their visit.
Your Digital Journey with Smart Souvenir Coins
6 Featured Exhibits with AR Interactive Experience
Process Lab
Unlock immersive 3D models of design prototypes and manufacturing processes. Your custom NFC souvenir coin reveals behind-the-scenes AR content showing how everyday objects evolve from concept to creation, featuring interactive animations of design iterations and material experiments.
Immersion Room
Scan with your interactive AR souvenir coin to activate virtual wallpaper designs that surround you in augmented reality. Experience historic patterns from the museum's collection floating in your space, with details about their origin, designers, and cultural significance delivered through your smart coin's WebAR guide service.
Beautiful Users Exhibition
Use your NFC souvenir coin to unlock AR stories of inclusive design innovations. Your custom coins provide access to virtual interviews with designers, 3D demonstrations of adaptive technologies, and interactive timelines showing how design serves diverse communities and transforms accessibility.
Jewelry Gallery
Your smart souvenir coin activates detailed AR visualizations of intricate jewelry pieces. Zoom in on gemstones, rotate historical ornaments in 360°, and discover the craftsmanship techniques through interactive AR guide content that makes every detail visible, transforming how you experience these miniature masterpieces.
Graphic Design Collection
Tap your interactive coins to reveal layered AR explorations of iconic posters, typography, and branding. The AR souvenir experience deconstructs design elements, shows color palette evolution, and provides virtual curator commentary, offering professional insights into groundbreaking graphic design through your custom NFC coins.
Textiles Gallery
Scan fabric exhibits with your smart coins to unlock AR microscopic views revealing weaving patterns and fiber structures. Your custom souvenir provides access to animated demonstrations of historical textile techniques, virtual fabric simulations, and stories of textile artists through an engaging user digital experience.
Where to Get Your Smart Souvenir Coins
- Museum Shop: Available at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum Shop on the first floor near the main entrance. Each custom coin comes in a premium acrylic capsule with embossed metal coin, NFC smart sticker, and magnet sticker for DIY assembly.
- Admission Desk: Purchase your interactive AR souvenir coins when you buy your entrance ticket. Bundle packages available offering discounted rates when combined with museum membership or special exhibition access.
- Special Exhibitions Desk: Limited edition custom souvenirs featuring exclusive designs tied to temporary exhibitions. These NFC souvenir coins unlock unique AR content specific to featured collections and visiting artists.
- Online Store: Pre-order your smart coins before your visit through the Cooper Hewitt website. Pick up at the Will Call desk or have them shipped. The AR guide service activates automatically when you arrive at the museum.
How to Use Your Interactive Coins
Step 1: Activate Your Smart Coin
Tap the NFC sticker with your smartphone or scan the QR code. On first use, scratch off the activation code on the included card and enter it to unlock your personalized AR guide service. No app download required—WebAR launches instantly in your browser.
Step 2: Assemble Your Custom Souvenir
Create your unique interactive souvenir by combining the embossed metal coin with the NFC smart sticker and optional magnet. Display it as a collectible coin, transform it into a smart fridge magnet, or attach it to your bag as a functional AR-enabled accessory.
Step 3: Scan Exhibits & Unlock AR Content
As you explore Cooper Hewitt, use your phone's camera through the WebAR interface to scan designated exhibits marked with arTag™ icons. Instantly unlock immersive 3D models, virtual curator guides, interactive animations, and exclusive design stories that enhance your museum experience.
Step 4: Revisit Your Collection Anytime
Your custom NFC coins serve as a permanent gateway to all unlocked content. Even after leaving the museum, tap your smart souvenir to access your personal digital collection, share experiences on social media, explore additional content, and stay connected with Cooper Hewitt's design community.
Benefits of Smart Souvenir Coins for Cooper Hewitt
Premium Revenue Stream
These custom coins offer high-margin revenue as premium souvenirs priced above traditional merchandise. The interactive AR guide service and NFC technology justify premium pricing while the DIY assembly component and collectible nature encourage repeat purchases and limited edition releases tied to special exhibitions.
Extended Visitor Engagement
Smart souvenir coins keep visitors connected long after their museum visit. The user digital experience continues at home as they revisit collected AR content, explore new updates, and engage with evolving exhibitions. This sustained interaction builds lasting relationships between Cooper Hewitt and its audience.
Social Media Amplification
The AR souvenir experience naturally encourages social sharing. Visitors capture and post their interactive AR discoveries, creating organic marketing content. Custom coins embedded with links to Cooper Hewitt's social channels drive follower growth, while shareable AR content generates viral potential and extended brand reach.
Enhanced Educational Value
Interactive coins transform passive viewing into active learning. The AR guide service delivers layered educational content—from quick facts for casual visitors to in-depth design analysis for enthusiasts. This flexibility serves diverse audiences while reinforcing Cooper Hewitt's mission to promote design understanding and appreciation.
Valuable Visitor Analytics
NFC souvenir coins provide insights into visitor behavior through activation tracking, exhibit interaction patterns, and content engagement metrics. This data helps Cooper Hewitt optimize exhibitions, understand audience preferences, personalize marketing campaigns, and make informed decisions about collection displays and programming.
Brand Differentiation
Offering cutting-edge custom souvenirs positions Cooper Hewitt as an innovation leader among design museums. The combination of physical collectibles with digital experiences perfectly embodies the museum's design-forward identity, creating memorable brand associations and distinguishing Cooper Hewitt in the competitive cultural institution landscape.
Transform Your Museum Experience with Smart Souvenir Coins
Discover how arTag™ custom coins with NFC technology and AR guide service can revolutionize visitor engagement at Cooper Hewitt. Create interactive souvenirs that blend physical collectibles with immersive digital experiences, driving revenue while enhancing educational impact.
Launch Your Custom Smart Souvenir Program