Museum Design Thought Experiment: Would/Would Not

After the roiling kerfuffle that came about after my recent "screens" posting, I started thinking about the automatic reactions that we all have about design/exhibit features in museums.

So I'd like to start a little "crowdsourcing" or museum design thought experiment for ExhibiTricks readers.

It's simple --- think about creating a brand new museum, now choose just one design/exhibit feature you absolutely WOULD include, and why, and one design/exhibit feature you absolutely WOULD NOT include in your wonderful new museum, and why.

Now write your WOULD/WOULD NOT new museum design/exhibit features in the "Comments" section below.

I'll start things out by putting my own WOULD/WOULD NOTs right here:

WOULD: I'd include a "FabLab" type space where visitors could use computerized (and non-computerized) design tools to create objects to take home. I'd do that because I think many museum experiences show people the "end products" (art objects, historical artifacts, phenomenological exhibits) without helping them appreciate the process(es) by which those products came about.

WOULD NOT: I would not create a traveling exhibit space in my new, idealized museum. The reason is that I think many museums' use of traveling exhibit spaces becomes either an institutional treadmill or crutch, and I think the time and resources usually spent on bringing in traveling shows (many of which are overpriced junk, but that's a different story ...) could be better utilized by developing exhibits/programming internally that stick around for more than three months.

Let's read your WOULD/WOULD NOTs in the "Comments" section below!

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The Play Project

In a recent post about "Smaller IS Better" I asked for suggestions of museums doing innovative things in remote or smaller outposts, that normally don't get recognized. Megan Fischer from Providence Children's Museum, wrote to tell me about her museum's Play Power project.

Here's what Megan had to say:

Last fall, Providence Children's Museum opened Play Power, an exhibit celebrating the power of children's play. We've always talked to our visitors about the importance of play, but we made the message more deliberate with this exhibit - through labels (paper & video), a parent resource area & sheet, supporting programs, and more. We've included our play message in all we do - all print materials, e-newsletter, including PlayWatch (stories observed & reported by Museum staff & volunteers) in our newsletter.

We've also been doing a lot of outreach/advocacy work to get the message out beyond the Museum's walls:

• using our blog to link to articles & resources and give a behind-the-scenes look at the interesting things staff are doing & talking about.

• partnering with other local organizations to host community screenings of "Where Do The Children Play?" - a documentary about kids' lack of time & space for play, especially outdoors (click here for blog follow up to the most recent event)

• and just last month, launching a listserv that grew from the screenings - "PlayWatch: Connecting the Community to Promote Children's Play."

We've been able to bring together a lot of people who are having similar conversations to ours and the connections are great & growing. Up next - hoping to schedule a series informal community conversations, about various play & parenting topics that have come up on our listserv. I'm sending out a survey this week to find out what people are most interested in talking about.

Thanks to Megan and her colleagues for sharing their thoughtful approaches to advocating for play both inside and outside their museum.

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Exhibit Design Humor: There, I Fixed It

Well, that last post about screens in museums certainly struck a nerve! (And perhaps my laptop, too, which seems to have blown it's video card, ironically ... so those of you waiting to have your "Smaller is Better" projects, or "Not the Usual Suspects" hiring bios featured in future ExhibiTricks postings, please bear with me and the AppleCare repair program.)

For right now, though, here's a suggestion for a little light web browsing, in the form of a plug for the website There, I Fixed It. Billed as a monument to "epic kludges and jury rigs" there is just a constant stream of jaw-droppingly funny images that serve as proof (either for or against) human ingenuity.

If you've ever had to fix exhibits, There, I Fixed It, is a must add to your browser bookmarks or newsreader.

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to get updates via email or your favorite news reader. Just click the "Free Updates" link on the right side of the blog.

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Are Screens Killing Museums?

Having just returned from SEGD's Sixth Annual Symposium on New Directions in Exhibition and Environment Design held at Cranbrook outside of Detroit, I was very much reminded of Nina Simon's recent post about small "camp-like" meetings instead of conferences.

The SEGD Symposium really was like a design camp with a small group of participants in Cranbrook's idyllic setting learning from each other.

I was fortunate to give a talk during the symposium about "Right Tech." Building upon the notion that museums' strengths lie with the "Triple S" of Stories, Stuff, and Social Engagement, part of my Cranbrook presentation focused on the contention that "screens" are destroying truly interactive experiences in museums. Since my thoughts seemed to elicit about 50% heads nodding in agreement, and 50% gritted teeth in the audience, I'd thought I'd share my "screed against screens" condensed into a top ten list with ExhibiTricks readers:

A SCREED AGAINST SCREENS


10) Screens are not "green".
I don't care how you slice it up, screens are not a sustainable design technology.

9) IMAX.
The biggest gateway to "cheesiness" in the museum business.

8) The "death trap" introductory theatre.
Didn't forcing people to sit through a boring movie before they get to the "fun stuff" die out with the 1964 World's Fair?

7) BIG Touch Screens/Touch Tables.
Somehow the technology that looked so cool in the Tom Cruise movie "Minority Report" has landed inside museums. Proof that bigger is not always better.

6) Individual Experiences Instead of Truly Social Experiences.
Screens hypnotize, not socialize.

5) Screens in museums emulate TV or movie experiences.
But poorly.

4) Screens in museums emulate videogame experiences.
But poorly.

3) Screens become the "easy answer."
Since visitors will stare at a screen, even if nothing is on it, screen-based technologies often become our default design choice.

2) Screens often become "electronic labels" or encyclopedias.
Screens often become a dumping ground for huge volumes of text that we would never dare stick onto a printed label.

1) Screens don't age well.
Screen-based technologies and techniques become dated very quickly, but unfortunately don't seem to get replaced as quickly.

What do you think? Are screens destroying museums or are they the last hope for engaging visitors? Feel free to hurl your bouquets or brickbats to us via the "Comments" area below.

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Exhibit Design Toolbox: JC Whitney

Since I'm speaking at the SEGD Exhibition and Environments Symposium in Detroit (my hometown and STILL the Motor City!) this week, I thought I'd highlight a great auto-related resource that's often overlooked by exhibit designers, namely the JC Whitney catalog.

JC Whitney is a great resource for odd little bearings or mirrors, as well as low voltage lights and accessories.  And, since all the items were designed for automotive use, they hold up well to the pounding museum visitors can often give exhibits.  JC Whitney's website can also be a good place to find speciality tools or paints that can be adapted to exhibit design.

So spend some cash to upgrade your exhibit "clunkers" by investigating the JC Whitney site. 

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The LEGO® Millyard Project

Last week I wrote a post about "Smaller IS Better" and asked for suggestions of museums doing innovative things in remote or smaller outposts, that normally don't get recognized. I'm happy to say I got a tremendous response, and I will be sharing news of some of those interesting projects and people in future blog postings.

For now, I'd like to share with you some details about the LEGO® Millyard Project that's on display at the SEE Science Center in Manchester, New Hampshire. Douglas Heuser and Adele Maurier were kind enough to share the photos above and below, as well as this description of the project:

"Our LEGO Millyard project is a great example of what can be accomplished using volunteers and corporate partners. The project depicts the Amoskeag Millyard circa 1900, built with more than 3 million LEGO bricks and complete with running water and trains with mini-cams. We have created school programs around the project highlighting the science and technology of the mills. It has also changed the demographics of our visitors: older visitors are now coming to SEE, unaccompanied by children, just to check out the LEGO Millyard. "



More than 3 million LEGO bricks! I'd say that makes the SEE Science Center a "museum worth a special trip"! Let us know about some of your favorite "Smaller IS Better" museum projects in the Comments Section below or by dropping us an email.

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