## 2 Literature Review and Hypotheses Development  
### Virtual Museum Navigation Experience  
There exist numerous categories of virtual museums, distinguished by their common feature of exhibition spaces devoid of physical barriers or obstructions [33]. In this study, an OVM is defined as a virtual space created using 360\({}^{\circ}\) panoramic technology to closely replicate the physical environment of offline museums [34]. Its hallmark feature lies in the authentic representation of physical museum spaces in the digital sphere [35], accomplished through the digitization of architectural or exhibition components from real-world museums, subsequently disseminated and showcased via online museum platforms [7]. Currently, there continues to be sustained interest from diverse audiences and the existence of numerous well-known OVM cases, highlighting the significance and practicality of researching this domain [36; 37].  
Within the OVM environment, users face a critical challenge marked by a dearth of adequate vestibular and proprioceptive cues [38], hindering their interaction quality and impeding spatial cognition within the virtual realm. As users engage solely through screens, mice, and keyboards, they struggle to discern real-world pathways and obstacles, easily succumbing to distractions from other interfaces, thus disrupting their viewing experience at any given moment. To surmount these constraints and enrich user immersion and engagement, researchers and developers have explored diverse technologies and methodologies, including recommendation systems [39; 40], personalized navigation [41; 42; 43], virtual assistants [44; 45; 46], and navigation devices [47].  
Furthermore, with the continuous advancement of technology and application platforms, a plethora of design guidelines for virtual museums have emerged, covering various platforms such as Augmented Reality (AR) [44; 48], Virtual Reality(VR) [49; 50], Mixed Reality (MR) [51; 52], and Extended Reality (XR) [53]. Within the domain of OVM, [PERSON] et al. identified four critical design features (usability, aesthetics, sensory appeal, personalization) and five guidelines (interactivity, content relevance, ease of use, emotional engagement, discovery) [54]. These are crafted to enhance both user engagement and learning effectiveness in online museum experiences. [PERSON] et al. explored the architecture of a virtual museum guide system that employs a recommender system and a virtual assistant to personalize visitor interactions [45]. This approach highlights the growing use of intelligent personalization in cultural heritage settings to improve educational and immersive experiences. More recently, [PERSON] et al. investigated the development of museum guides utilizing ChatGPT4, suggesting that AI will facilitate the introduction of novel functionalities and substantially reduce operational costs [55]; nevertheless, further scrutiny regarding the accuracy of the information imparted is warranted.  
While research on design guidelines for virtual museums is expanding, there is a relative scarcity of studies specifically dedicated to design guidelines for OVM. Moreover, empirical research examining the impact of virtual navigation design on users is insufficient. These observations underscore the ample research opportunities within the realm of OVM, particularly concerning the formulation of design guidelines for virtual navigation and the enhancement of user experience.