Museum Manifesto, 2008

My Top 3

[Developed in the context of Nancy Hechinger’s class, “Cabinets of Wonder”]

In any good book, movie, speech, or in this case, exhibit, no matter how amazing the material is, we remember parts of the experience based on certain details. Some parts are brought to light depending on that space in which one explores the exhibit. In considering this idea of space, I think both of the literal sense as well as that place where we carve out experience, calling upon memories or pausing to let certain parts envelop the moment. In thinking of space, we must also consider pacing, placement, and establishing a comfortable rhythm in which one might move through the museum.

Keeping in mind space and rhythm, we must also think about the trajectory of experience. In designing the exhibit, we must think about what we want the visitor to feel upon entry and how one gets from start to finish. What will be the arc of experience? One way we might examine this is through narrative. Whether it’s the visitors projecting their own stories into the space, or the exhibit outlining a kind of story, the sense of narrative is so deeply rooted in all cultures, the exhibit will evoke a sense of story, or rather, carry the elements of a story. We’ll want an excellent introduction, just enough to draw the visitor in, saying it’s okay to get lost in this world. For the subject of the exhibit, there will be parts making up the whole so that collectively, a story is formed. A sense of resolution or closure will be instilled in the final section so the visitor is then free to reflect on the experience.

Lighting is also important in the development of the experience. The lighting design should match the subject. Will we need cool tones, or warm ones, what helps to illuminate the work and what kind of lights make people feel safe? We must consider all these elements of lighting.

Certainly everyone in the design process will be clear with their intentions. Every part of the exhibit must fit together, creating a sense of balance for the visitor. Edit. We must be diligent in our editing process– what’s essential, if there’s something that’s interesting but maybe not so important, can we leave it out? With every piece of the exhibit, we must ask ourselves what the intention is behind including it and think about what we want the visitor to take away from its inclusion.

There must be a cafe. If there isn’t a cafe to retreat to in the middle or at the end of the visit, you might as well say, don’t bother coming, we’re not going to look after your needs. And the staff of the museum/exhibit should also weigh into creating a positive experience. They should be clear on what their role is and exude this sense of professionalism. If the museum is great but the visitors’ interaction with the staff is poor, this will certainly detract from the experience. In the end, often human interaction surmounts any other part of a particular experience so we want to make these interactions positive ones and reinforcing the principals of the museum.

In the end, we want to inspire. If our visitors can leave this world of our exhibit feeling a little bit lighter, a little bit more apt to face the outside world, then I think we will have created something great.