Can AI Be Your Museum Brainstorming Buddy?
Let's be honest: we've all been there. It's 3 PM on a Tuesday, and you're staring at a blank concept document, with your brain feeling like it's been replaced with cotton candy. The client wants "something interactive about local history that appeals to all ages and doesn't cost more than a decent used car."
Your internal monologue goes something like: Interactive... history... families... budget... HELP.
Enter your new creative partner: AI.
No, it won't replace your brilliant human insights (thank goodness), but it might just save you from that deer-in-headlights moment when inspiration decides to take an extended lunch break.
The Brainstorm Before the Brainstorm
Here's the thing about AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude: they're like that friend who's read everything, remembers everything, and never gets tired of your "what if we tried..." questions. The secret sauce isn't asking AI to design your exhibit for you—it's using it to unstick your creative gears.
Instead of: "Design an exhibit about butterflies." Try: "I need 15 unexpected angles for approaching butterfly conservation that would surprise visitors who think they know everything about butterflies."
Boom. Suddenly, you're not just talking about metamorphosis (again). You're exploring butterfly migration as climate data, butterfly wing patterns as inspiration for solar panel efficiency, or the economic impact of pollinator decline on local agriculture.
Journey Mapping: Your Visitor's GPS
Remember when we used to draw visitor journey maps on napkins and hope for the best? AI can help you think through the emotional rollercoaster your visitors are about to experience—before you build the actual rollercoaster.
Try this prompt: "Map the emotional journey of a skeptical teenager being dragged through an exhibit about [your topic]. What are their pain points, potential engagement moments, and what would make them actually tell their friends about it?"
The AI might suggest that your skeptical teen initially rolls their eyes at the entrance, gets grudgingly intrigued by a hands-on station, feels genuinely surprised by an unexpected connection to their world, and leaves with one concrete thing to think about. That's a roadmap for your design decisions.
The "Yes, And..." Partner
AI excels at the improv comedy rule of "yes, and..."—it builds on your ideas instead of shutting them down. Having a creative block about how to make 18th-century farming techniques relevant to urban kids?
You: "What if we connected historical farming to modern urban gardening?"
AI: "Yes, and what if visitors could compare the efficiency of colonial crop rotation with vertical farming techniques, using the same square footage?"
You: "And they could actually plant something to take home..."
AI: "And track their plant's growth against historical weather data from the same region..."
Suddenly, you've an exhibit that bridges centuries, connects to current sustainability concerns, and provides visitors with a lasting takeaway.
Pro Tips for AI Collaboration
Be specific with context: "I'm designing for a 200-square-foot space in a children's museum with a $15K budget and weekly school groups of 25 kids" gets you better suggestions than "design something for kids."
Ask for alternatives: "Give me 5 completely different ways to teach this concept" will stretch your thinking beyond your first idea.
Play devil's advocate: "What would a museum visitor who hates technology think about this exhibit?" helps you design for all your audiences.
Get granular: "What should visitors be thinking, feeling, and doing in the first 30 seconds of this experience?" forces specificity.
The Human Touch (Still Required)
Here's what AI can't do: understand your specific community, navigate your institution's politics, or know that your facilities manager has strong opinions about anything that plugs into the wall. It can't feel the energy of your space, or know that Mrs. Henderson brings her third-grade class every October, and they always ask about dinosaurs, even in the art gallery.
AI is your museum brainstorming accelerator, not your replacement.
Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!
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