Friday, November 27, 2009

Exhibit Design Inspiration: The Reverse Geocache Puzzle ™


I've been edging around investigating the Arduino system (an open-source electronics prototyping platform) but now that I've read about Mikal Hart and the super-cool puzzle box called The Reverse Geocache Puzzle ™  that he built as a wedding present, I've got an added incentive to order up some Arduino gizmos and books.

Basically, as the name implies, Mikal Hart's box is dependent upon the GPS system.  In this case as long as you figure out (by reading the GPS-enabled diplay screen on the top of the puzzle box) within 50 guesses the pre-programmed "mystery location" the box will spring open revealing its contents.

There are several cool aspects to this: One is that you have to play a location game tied to satellites to make your present work, another is that in a perfect blending of high-tech and low-tech the device that interfaces with the electronic latch to make it work is a modified chopstick!

It really is worth reading the whole "Reverse Geocache Puzzle" saga yourself at Mikal Hart's website and checking out the goodies and gizmos at the Arduino website as well!

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Why Are You Reading This Blog?





I'm in a bit of an introspective mode.  So, I'm curious about the people who read this blog (like you!)  

Please leave a comment below (anonymous if you like) or send me an email to tell me: a little bit about yourself,  why you read ExhibiTricks, what you like, what you don't like, and what sorts of new things you'd like to see.

Thanks in advance for your comments, and thanks very much for reading ExhibiTricks.

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Friday, November 20, 2009

Duct Tape In Bushwick



In continuing our unintended recent theme of tape-related postings, two talented designers from the Master of Arts program in Exhibition Design at FIT named Isabella Bruno and Mandi Zanski wrote to share a recent project they did with duct tape a few weeks ago at the BETA Spaces event sponsored by Arts in Bushwick (that's in Brooklyn, for those of you outside NYC!)

Mandi and Isabella used fluorescent duct tape as a framing device throughout the neighborhood to call attention to the performing artists that they curated.  This created a "faux stage" or "instructions for viewing art" on the streets of Bushwick.  The idea was for pedestrians to stumble upon these art installations unexpectedly and to provoke them to consider how they viewed everyday environments in their own neighborhood.




The intrepid "duct tape designers" reported that they enjoyed watching the reactions of pedestrians who either stopped to view the installation or pass by it with no regard at all.  It was an interesting experiment for sure, especially since one of the performers almost got arrested because their tape was "defacing public property."  The officer said that he, "Couldn't bring her downtown looking like that ..." (wearing a red prom dress in the photo below) and he'd never seen anything like THIS."





Kudos to Isabella and Mandi for taking their design ideas to the streets! You can find an audio interview about the BETA Spaces event by clicking HERE.


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Monday, November 16, 2009

Exhibit Design Inspiration: Buff Diss



As a quick follow-up to my infatuations with tape as both a practical and prototyping medium, I'd like to point your attention to the work of Buff Diss.

Buff Diss works with masking tape in a graffiti style to transform the urban landscape, architecture, and construction sites, as you can see from his Flickr stream

The video at the top of this post is well worth a look and listen to get a sense of Buff Diss' creative mindset.  (I especially like the confusion that his artwork causes with authorities since it is removable and does not permanently damage the sites or surfaces it inhabits.)

Enjoy!

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Thursday, November 12, 2009

ELVIS the Exhibit Prototyper?



This week I was fortunate to work with the students in the Exhibition Design Master's program at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) in Manhattan.

My presentations covered one of my favorite, but often overlooked, design topics: Prototyping! 

In my opinion, most exhibit design misfires could be prevented by more thorough prototyping at the beginning of the exhibit development process.



In addition to warping the minds of these young up-and-coming exhibit designers with my corny jokes and some rapid/cheap prototyping exercises using paper and masking tape,  part of my presentation also dealt with how to use the word ELVIS as a mnemonic (memory aid) for exhibit designers when they are developing prototypes:


 E = Everyday Materials
Using everyday materials makes it easier to prototype AND maintain exhibits.  I'd much rather spec something from McMaster-Carr or the local Radio Shack that does the job, rather than creating a custom component that will be tricky to replace later on.

L = Looseness
Providing open-ended opportunities during exhibit development and for the visitors.  The best exhibits (and exhibit developers!) are not one-trick ponies, they are wired up to allow multiple successful outcomes.

V = Vermicious
The word means "wormy." Good exhibits and prototypes should "worm around" your head on many different levels: old/young, art/science, beginner/expert.  If you can find a way to conceptually and actively "hook" your visitors, they'll remember your exhibits.

I = Interesting
Two things: 1) Great exhibits/prototypes always seem interesting, no matter how many times you've seen them. Think of "classics" like gravity wells and mist tornadoes.
 2) If the prototypes you're developing aren't interesting to you, how can you expect your visitors to be interested in your final exhibits?

S = Sharing
We should be sharing ideas with our visitors, and each other as professionals.
In that spirit, don't forget to check out The Great Big Exhibit Resource List, a free compendium of great resources for designers, makers, AND prototypers.




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Monday, November 9, 2009

100 Extremely Useful Search Engines for Science



Here's one of those handy compendium web pages that's well worth bookmarking:
100 Extremely Useful Search Engines for Science.

(I especially liked PhysicsCentral...)

Thanks to Amber Johnson for bringing the list to my attention!

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Friday, November 6, 2009

I (almost) lost my voice ...



In both a physical and metaphorical way, I (almost) lost my voice during the recent ASTC conference (the international gathering of science center folks.) My laryngitis is mostly better now, but I'm still mulling over why I felt like there were more hucksters and monument-builders dominating the conversation at the conference than usual.  Is it the effects of the poor economy, or an inexorable shift in the science center field itself?

It was a little sad to be surrounded by so many people (in presumably the same business as me) who seemed completely willing to rationalize bringing any off-message, off-mission, off-SCIENCE claptrap into their museums in the head-long chase after numbers. (Although it's questionable if either the money "numbers" or admissions "numbers" are real or sustainable.)

IMAX movies about giant robots taking over the world? Bring 'em on!  Exhibits about movie props without the annoying detail of including any difficult science content?  Call our ticket line right now!

And now onto to the trend of launching gigantic science center juggernauts...  I overheard the director of a newly-opened palace of mediocrity complaining that he would NEVER work again with the fancy museum design company that was one of their co-conspirators.  Well now's a great time to come to that realization, isn't it?  The checks have been cashed, the damage has been done --- and the fancy museum design company is on to another gigantic new museum project --- it costs money to pay for all that smart office space and furniture in the big city, after all.

When will the museum business stop building the institutional equivalent of Humvees? Do we really need more titanic, and in all likelihood, unsustainable (in both the business and environmental sense)  museum buildings sucking up resources, when we could do a better job refining and rethinking our existing museums? (Rather than building on top of their construction rubble ...)

Just as I was pondering how the sponsors of the ASTC conference possibly help to perpetuate this money-churning storyline that we need a constant stream of bigger (BIGGER!) projects to keep the science center world moving forward, the winners of the "Edgie" awards were announced.

The Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards are presented annually to ASTC members and/or their employees in recognition of extraordinary accomplishments in Visitor Experience, Business Practice, and Leadership in the Field that not only enhance the performance of their own institutions but also significantly advance the mission of science-technology centers and museums.


I'd like to highlight and give a tip of the hat to two of this year's winners:  Klima X (a clever and thought-provoking look at global warming) produced by the The Norwegian National Museum of Science, Technology, and Medicine and The Coyote Point Museum  (an institution in the midst of carefully recreating itself to better serve its constituent communities.) In each institution's case, they are thoughtfully addressing critical issues of science with both rigor and creativity.

I say thank goodness for the Edgie awards, a welcome antidote to both the mindlessly conjoined  "numbers at any cost" and "bigger is better" museum trends that often seem to be dominating both the media landscape and the professional microphone.

There, my voice feels better now.

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Monday, November 2, 2009

Kathy McLean's Exhibit Manifesto



 Kathy McLean wants you to help create a revolution in exhibition design. And she has issued her manifesto.

Kathy gave a thoughtful presentation the other day during the Pecha Kucha session at the 2009 ASTC conference.

You can see an earlier version of her talk entitled "Manifesto for the (r)Evolution of Museum Exhibitions" on this webpage.

Kathy has hurled some great challenges to exhibit developers and designers like "strive for mutations" and "work smaller" but during her Pecha Kucha presentation she has also challenged all exhibit developers and designers to add to her manifesto. 

So after watching the video, why not take Kathy up on her challenge and leave your own ideas about the "Manifesto for the (r)Evolution of Museum Exhibitions" through her website's contact section?

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