Should Your Next Exhibit Be Designed Like The Web?

Should the loosely connected, surf anywhere you like approach that makes the Web so popular serve as the design model for your next exhibit?

What got me thinking about this was the review (and subsequent comments) over on the ExhibitFiles website concerning the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry's new human body exhibit entitled "YOU!" 

Many exhibit designers seem to feel that exhibitions need a clear storyline or narrative thread that helps visitors walk away with clear messages.  The folks involved in the YOU! exhibition seemed to be guided not only by the disjointed architecture of the spaces they had to fit the exhibition into, but also by an acknowledgment of the user-centered, Web-based manner that many members of their target audience gather their information these days.

While the Web is great for wading through vast oceans of information, it still seems that "sticky" narratives are the best way for acquiring  long-lasting knowledge.   Using the Web as a model for design criteria seems like it could easily lapse into the "let's just fill up the space with cool stuff and let the visitors sort it out..." school of exhibit (or museum) design. 

So, can a museum exhibition composed of free-standing units that can be viewed in any order, any more or less effective than the traditionally-styled exhibition hung on a clear narrative structure? The folks from Chicago involved with the YOU! project have indicated that they'll be releasing their summative evaluation reports, so stay tuned...

What do you think?  Are folks from the narrative thread school of exhibit design just old fuddy-duddies that aren't keeping up with the Web-savvy public?  Or can museums serve as an antidote from click-based info-surfing,  and provide real objects, experiences, and stories that people can dive more deeply into?  Share your own deep (or shallow!) thoughts in the "Comments" section below.


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Exhibit Design Inspiration: Gear Ring

 

What if a hands-on exhibit actually fit in (or on) your hand?   Kinekt Design has created the Gear Ring which you can see in the image at the top of this post or in action in their YouTube video.



The Gear Ring is a neat idea, and it makes me wonder what other sorts of functional interactive items that could connect to exhibit themes and ideas might be possible.

What do you think?

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.

P.S. If you receive ExhibiTricks via email (or facebook or LinkedIn) you will need to click HERE to go to the main ExhibiTricks page to make comments or view multimedia features (like videos!)

ExhibitFiles Launches "Bits"

The already excellent ExhibitsFiles (a community site for exhibit designers and developers to share their Reviews or Case Studies of exhibits or exhibitions) has added a new tab to its homepage called "Bits."

Bits gives you an opportunity to provide, well, just a quick "bit" of information like a picture or video or Flickr link that introduces a cool exhibit idea or something you'd like to get feedback on.  Not quite as detailed as submitting a  Case Study or Review (although, c'mon isn't it time you've submitted one of those to ExhibitFiles already?)

So why not do your "bit" for ExhibitFiles and submit a Bit today?

Not an ExhibitFiles member yet?  It's simple and easy to sign up by clicking here.

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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Exhibits Exchange: Give Old Exhibits A New Home!

Museum Exhibit Design Toolkit: An Erector Set for Grownups

Here's a quick one to explore:

80/20 Inc. is a company that sells aluminum T-slotted framing that they call "The Industrial Erector Set."

And just like an erector set, the 80/20 pieces let you quickly put together 3-D realizations of your exhibit designs. Since the T-slotted framing sections assemble quickly, changes are much easier to make than welded frames, so the system is also great for playing around with physical prototypes.

Check out the 80/20 website for images of project examples!

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.

P.S. If you receive ExhibiTricks via email (or facebook or LinkedIn) you will need to click HERE to go to the main ExhibiTricks page to make comments or view multimedia features (like videos!)

Exhibit Graphics Toolbox: Shape Collage

Shape Collage is a great FREE on-line (or downloadable) software tool that lets you arrange pictures from your computer (or online photo stashes) into shapes or words.

Even better, Shape Collage lets you tweak the shapes, backgrounds, clickability of images as much as you would like. (The image at the top of this posting gives you a simple example of some of the interactive features.)

This is a great application that definitely goes into my Exhibit Graphics Toolbox!

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.

P.S. If you receive ExhibiTricks via email (or facebook or LinkedIn) you will need to click HERE to go to the main ExhibiTricks page to make comments or view multimedia features (like videos!)