Exhibit Design Toolbox: Evernote

Have you ever been working on an exhibit project and wished you could readily keep track of all your relevant websites, notes, or digital camera images, and then be able to access these inspirations easily from your computer, the Web, or your other digital devices?

If so, check out Evernote.

The folks at Evernote bill their product as your "external brain." They offer free versions of their software that work with Windows or Mac computers, in addition to web browsers and cell phones. Best of all, Evernote can effortlessly sync information between all of these devices. Evernote even interfaces with popular programs like Skitch and Jott.

I've just started using Evernote to keep track of all my various projects' paraphernalia, and I think I may have finally found a better solution than unmanageable web-browser bookmark files or overstuffed folders filled with scraps of paper, printouts, and torn-out magazine pages!

One feature that I really like is Evernote's ability to search for words that are part of images that were not originally entered as text --- a label from an exhibit, or a bottle of wine at a restaurant that you want to remember --- just snap a picture to put it into an Evernote folder.

The folks at Evernote just announced a successful round of funding that will allow them to add even more features like expanded sharing and collaboration. These enhancements promise to make Evernote an even better tool for exhibit and project development!

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Exhibit Design Inspiration: The Museum of Scientifically Accurate Fabric Brain Art

Intrepid ExhibiTricks reader Andrea Thies pointed out The Museum of Scientifically Accurate Fabric Brain Art, which is billed as "the world's largest extant collection of anatomically correct fabric brain art." (You can see an example, by developmental psychologist Marjorie Taylor, pictured above.)

As described in an article from Science Magazine, the structures of the human brain have inspired developmental psychologist Marjorie Taylor and psychiatrist Karen Norberg to produce their scientifically accurate fabric art.

The "curator" behind the MSAFBA website is Bill Harbaugh, a Professor of Economics from the University of Oregon. Professor Harbaugh also maintains a sister site, the Gallery of Wooden Brain Art. Who would have known that this all has a tangential relationship to neuroeconomics research?

"Building a brain with yarn and knitting needles turns out to follow many of the same pathways as actual brain development," says Norberg, who has a knitted brain on display at the Boston Museum of Science.

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Doing More With Less, and Our First 2009 Contest!

Given the uncertain economy, and its equally uncertain effect on museums, one theme we expect to be revisiting throughout 2009 here at ExhibiTricks is "doing more with less."

In that spirit, here are are some of our favorite inexpensive (or free!) exhibit resources that we've posted about on ExhibiTricks this past year:

• Spoonflower gives individuals the power to print their own designs on fabric. The idea is that you upload a digital image to the Spoonflower web site and the company prints the design as a pattern on 100% cotton fabric.

• The fine folks at RWC Digital in Fort Worth, Texas produce lenticular graphics, and are willing to sell small quantities (even one or two!) RWC was easy to work with and delivered on time at a very reasonable price.

• Ponoko is a cool company that allows you to upload designs that are then fabricated using laser cutters and materials (like various types of plastic and wood.) It would be excellent if we all had access to tools like laser cutters, but until then, companies like Ponoko help fill the void.

• Think Anatomy has assembled a great collection of web-based resources for learning about, as well as gathering content information on, all things anatomical.

• Picnik is a free online photo-editing tool. If you, or your museum, can't afford software programs like Photoshop, try Picnik.


And now the contest! Two lucky ExhibiTricks readers will each win a complete 3 volume set of the ASTC Exhibit Cheapbooks (edited by yours truly!) Each Cheapbook volume contains approximately thirty inexpensive exhibit ideas contributed by museum colleagues from around the world --- each volume a perfect resource for doing more with less!

Here's how to enter: Between now and January 12th, just share your favorite money-saving exhibits tip in the "Comments" section below this posting OR subscribe to ExhibiTricks via email (just click on the link at the top right side of the blog.)

After the 12th, we'll choose the author of our favorite money-saving exhibits tip, and randomly choose a new email subscriber. Both winners will receive a complete 3 volume set of the ASTC Exhibit Cheapbooks.

Good luck!

Happy Holidays and Happy 2009!

We'll be taking a little break until January, so here's wishing a happy Holiday season as well as a healthy and prosperous New Year to all our ExhibiTricks readers!

Happy 1000 ExhibitFiles!

ExhibitFiles now has 1000+ members, as reported on the ExhibitFiles Blog today!

ExhibitFiles is a great site that lets anyone post reviews or case studies of exhibitions. This is especially important for exhibitions that may only be on view for a short period of time, or are displayed in a far-flung part of the world, and then "disappear" forever. Thanks to partial funding from the National Science Foundation, ExhibitFiles provides a forum for people to share their insights about exhibitions and museums from around the globe (including Antarctica!)

In this happy holiday season, why not give a "gift" to the museum business by posting your own exhibition review or case study? (That's a New Year's Resolution that's easy to keep.)

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to subscribe right now via email (or your favorite news reader) with the tools on the right side of the blog.

The Darkest Evening of The Year

The Winter Solstice always reminds me of two people, one you probably know, Robert Frost, and another you may not, David Taylor.

Dave Taylor was the long-time Director of Exhibits at the Pacific Science Center. David was always filled with good humor and great ideas, and he was always willing to share with colleagues. One small legacy left behind is Dave Taylor's collection of museum and exhibit photos from his travels, still hosted on the Pacific Science Center's servers.

I was lucky enough to receive David's annual "Winter Solstice card" for many years before he passed away. David's card always reminded us about another year passing and the promise of the new year upon us. These seem like "dark evenings" for the economy and the museum business, but we do all have "promises to keep" as well.

And with that, I leave you with the word's of Mr. Frost:

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.