What is the future of museum interactivity?

Reaching consensus on the stages of development of museums is difficult, but for the purpose of this conversation, I will use:

Museum 1.0
First Generation Museum, “Cabinet of Curiosity”
Collection cases, static displays, dioramas, object centric
•    Mutter Museum

Museum 2.0
Second Generation Museum / Science Center
Collection cases with push buttons and cranks
•    Museum of Science, Boston

Museum 3.0
Third Generation Museum / Science Center
Open ended, multi-layered and visitor centric and encourages conversations
•    Exploratorium

Museum 4.0
Fourth Generation Museum / Science Center
The Museum / Science Center is without walls, the museum experience starts prior to the visit to the “bricks and mortar” location and continues after the visit to the museum.  Museums of the fourth generation can / will use the techniques of museums 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, plus the museum experience is customized to the visitor (similar to Web 3.0).  The visitor experience “meets” the visitor at their level of engagement, interest and knowledge.  The museum experience is customized to the visitor prior to the museum visit.   I do not know of any museum that I would refer to as Museum 4.0

Nomenclature becomes difficult, because web 1.0, web 2.0 and web 3.0 are often used in combination with Museum 1.0, Museum 2.0, Museum 3.0, Museum 4.0.  For more information about the development of the web Web 3.0 Explained

Many of the phases of the development of museums is based on the work of Piaget and Constructivist Learning Theory.  Piaget “suggested that through processes of accommodation and assimilation, individuals construct new knowledge from their experiences. When individuals assimilate, they incorporate the new experience into an already existing framework without changing that framework”.  In other words; when we don’t know why the sky is blue, we each come up with our own theory of why the sky is blue until other knowledge challenges our theory.  To change our “knowledge” of why the sky is blue, first we need to deconstruct our current theory, then replace the previous knowledge with new knowledge.

The Exploratorium is the forefather of today’s Science Center.  Many of the practices of the Exploratorium have now migrated to Art Museums, History Museums, Aquariums and Children’s Museums.  Science Museums prior to the Exploratorium (I will make a distinction between Science Museum and a Science Center, as Science Center incorporates the Constructivist Learning Theory), showed visitors information, the Exploratorium, encouraged visitors to deconstruct their previous knowledge.  Earlier Science Museums assumed that all visitors learned in the same way, assuming that by exhibiting a geode and a label, all visitors could assimilate the causes that created a geode.  It was the Museum of Science (Boston), that took content beyond the previous museum model of “Cabinet of Curiosities” by adding push buttons to diorama graphic panels, the museum created the first interactive exhibits and made the “knowledge that of the visitor”.

It was the Exploratorium that took museums to the next phase of their development, by having vistors perform science experiments instead of having “science shown”, as such the Exploratorium incorporated the theories of Piaget.  As an adjunct to Art Museums; Children’s Museums, grew from Art museums and the “teaching collection” of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences (now the Brooklyn Museum).  Since Children’s Museums grew from the teaching collection of an Art Museums, Children’s Museums have always had a hands on approach.  During the same time as the opening of the Exploratorium, Kinetic Art was developing and the Exploratorium incorporated artists into the development of exhibits.

Previously, I believed that “theming” was the start of the next phase in the development of museums, but I no longer believe that to be the case.  Theming or ”the use of an overarching theme…to create a holistic and integrated spatial organization of a…venue” provides a context for the content of an exhibition.  Although we require a context for knowledge, I don’t believe the incorporation of theming to be a milestone in the development of museums.  I now see “theming” as a continuation of dioramas, as “walkthrough dioramas”.

Web 3.0 or the “Semantic Web”, is thought to be the next phase of the development of the world wide web.  Similarly, I believe the next phase in the development of museums, Museum 4.0 will closely follow the Web 3.0 or  a web of content “that can be processed directly and indirectly”.  One of the most difficult concepts to communicate is that of interconnections, the goal of Museums 4.0 will be that of interconnections.  As a continuation of my concept of the Hub Museum, the “museum” will no longer be a location but a web of locations and interconnections, starting before the “museum” visit and continuing after the visit to a physical location.

In the next blog post “Future of Interactivity, Part II”, I will explore types of interactivity, philosophies of interactivity and the future technologies of interactivity.

References:

History of Museums “Cabinet of Curiosities”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Curiosities

World’s Oldest Museum? http://uk.io9.com/5805358/the-story-behind-the-worlds-oldest-museum-built-by-a-babylonian-princess-2500-years-ago?skyline=true&s=i

Jean Piaget, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Piaget

Constructivism (learning theory),  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(learning_theory)

First Interactive Museum, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_museum

Museum of Science (Boston), http://www.mos.org/exhibits_shows/current_exhibits&d=1223

Exploratorium History,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploratorium

Learning Styles, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles

Museum of Science (Boston), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Science_(Boston)

History of Children’s Museums, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children’s_museum

Theming, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theming

Kinetic Art, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_art

Web 3.0, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_Web

Note:

There are limited online resources for the history of museums and science centers, I will continue to update the above resources, mw

Kadoya Art House

As a follow up to the post “Museums are Hospitality”  I created a thread on the American Association of Museum’s Linkedin thread “What is the Business of Museums?“.   I suggested that “Museums are in the “hospitality” business, not the education business”.  The response has been great.  Although, Many people felt that I didn’t understand the business of museums or that it was “sacrilege” to say that museums are in the “Hospitality” business.  The longer the discussion continued, the more convinced I became that museums are in the “Hospitality” business, but now for different reasons.  The responses got me thinking about a “core” business of museums that is an intangible, that I will call “connecting with the muses“.

Museums grew out of Cabinets of Curiosities, a way for the wealthy to collect and organize the objects of their travels and education, you could think of Cabinets of Curiosities as a way for the rich to show off to guests.  There are many different types of hosts; humble hosts, conceited hosts, fun hosts, etc..  As museum professionals we are acting as the host of our museum and we dictate the type of experience for the visitor.

Last week I was in Union Square in San Francisco and walked into the St. Francis Hotel to use the bathroom. As soon as I walked in, I buttoned my jacket, looked in the mirror to check my hair, stood straighter. I wanted to become worthy of the “attitude” of the St. Francis, even if only to use the bathroom. My reasons, were because of the style, elegance and expense of the hotel.  Museums “ask” visitors to be better people, to reach their full potential. The reasons for me straightening my hair at the St. Francis are different then the reasons that I straighten my hair at the Museum of Modern Art, but the impact on me is the same, I want to be a better person. Creating an atmosphere of potential is a part of hospitality, “what can be”, “who can we become”, to nurture the spirit in each of us to be a better person. “Hospitality” is not pandering, it is elevating an experience.  Museums are “serving” their communities by asking them to be better people, not giving them what they “want”. We all want to be better people, but sometimes we need to be reminded to reach and that is the role of a museum, to remind us of our potential, what is possible and what has been accomplished.

I don’t believe any amount of market research or marketing would support, building the Cy Twombly Gallery.  But there it sits, one of the best museum experiences ever. The de Menil family had faith that building such a place would enrichen the lives of visitors. I felt as if, I was welcomed into the home of the de Menil’s and they shared with me their passion for the work of Cy Twombly. The de Menils are wonderful hosts.

This is a very personal list, some of my favorite places to “connect with the muses”

1. Cy Twonbly Gallery
2. Benesse Art Museums
3. Storm King
4. Museum of Jurasic Technology
5. City Museum
6. The Modern Museum of Art
7. Yale Art Gallery
8. Noguchi
9. Mass MOCA
10. DIA Beacon
11. The Earth Room

Frequently Asked Questions About Museum Master Planning and Exhibition Design:
1. How do you start a museum?
http://museumplanner.org/starting-a-museum/
2. How do you get a museum job?
http://museumplanner.org/getting-a-museum-job/
http://museumplanner.org/getting-started-in-museums/
3. How much do museum exhibitions cost?
http://museumplanner.org/2011-museum-exhibition-costs/
http://museumplanner.org/how-much-do-exhibits-cost/
4. How do you design an exhibition?
http://museumplanner.org/museum-exhibition-design-2/
http://museumplanner.org/museum-exhibition-design-2/
5. What is the future of museums?
http://museumplanner.org/hub-museum-4/
http://museumplanner.org/predictions-for-2010-2011-2012/
6. What is Museum Master Planning?
http://museumplanner.org/museum-master-planning/
7. How do you raise money for a museum?
http://museumplanner.org/museum-fundraising/
8. How do you create a traveling exhibition?
http://museumplanner.org/museum-fundraising/

Do you have a question about Museum Master Planning or Exhibition Design that has not been answered on museumplanner.org?  Enter the question in the comment section below.

Defining and describing “Museum Exhibition Design” is not an easy task.  After 20+ years working in museum exhibition design, I have arrived at my own definition.  The first tough part is a definition of a “museum”.  I have kludged together a definition of “museum”:

Museum – “An organization in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which  researches, communicates and exhibits things and ideas, for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.”

1. Many museums are non collecting, so a museum is not about displaying a collection
2. Some museums are “for profit”, so a museum can’t be defined by tax status
3. Some museums don’t have a building or a “home”, so it is not about a location

Second tough part “exhibition”, I kludged together:

Exhibition: “An event at which displays are put out in a public space for people to view and interact”

Third part “design”, I kludged together:

Design – “The making of a plan for the construction of an object or a system”

Now, can I create a definition of  ”Museum Exhibition Design” that can apply to all the different types of museums?

Science Center
Natural History Museum
Airport Museum
Natural History Museum
Traveling Exhibition
Art Museum
History Museum
Aquarium
Mobile Museum
On line Museum / Virtual Museum
Zoological Park
Botanic Garden

Definition:

Museum Exhibition Design:  ”The making of a plan for the construction of  public displays for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment,  in the service of society and its development.”

Exhibition Design Process — Phases

The museum exhibition design process can be divided into five distinct phases:

• Concept Development
• Schematic Design
• Design Development
• Final Design
• Construction Documents

The output of the design process:

• Fabrication
• Installation

Exhibition Design Process – Concept Development

Concept Development provides the “road map” for the project, where is the project going?, how will it get there? and a definition of the resources available to complete the project. Concept Development is culminated with the signing of a Project Charter outlining all of the components of the project.

• Project Objectives
• Project Filters
• Project Charter
• Initial Budget
• Initial Schedule
• Project Narrative, included in the Project Charter
• Front End Evaluation Umbrella Concept
• “Look and Feel”

Exhibition Narrative

Design Process – Schematic Design

The goal of Schematic Design, is to flesh out the scope and character 0f the project. This enables all parties involved to confirm themes, interpretation goals and to review spatial arrangements, appearance, artifact use, materials and cost.

By the and of the Schematic Design phase, the team will have visuals, narratives, look-and-feel boards and layouts to initially review the allocation of space, traffic flow, audi0—visual components, interactive displays, lighting and special effects. An overall graphic identity for the exhibit at this stage of design.

Typical Deliverables for Schematic Phase in—person meetings (and distribution of meeting notes)

• Content: description of project goals and messages
• Content: visitor experience narrative
• Content: outline 0f major components
• Design: Rough plan view w/content
• Design: Diagrams 0f content relationships
• Design: Traffic-flow diagrams
• Design: Sketches 0f key points in exhibition
• Design: Color perspective sketches (for fundraising and exhibit naming opportunities)
• Graphic Design: Collage of look & feel for exhibits and graphics
• Schedule: Fabrication and Installation schedule
• Schedule: budget development
• Schematic Design Phase deliverables: bound II” x 17″ booklets + electronic master copy

Bubble Diagram

Exhibition Rendering

Schematic Floor Plan

Design Process – Design Development

During Design Development, section and elevation drawings of exhibits in the space are created. Content research is compiled into draft text and descriptions of the exhibits and the interactives. Functions of Audio-visuals and computer programs that will be part chartered

The family of graphic elements is complied and a graphic schedule of all the graphics is created. Graphic directional and identification signage for interior and exterior spaces of the exhibit area become part of the program.

Typical Deliverables for Design Development Phase

In-person meetings (and distribution of meeting notes)

• Content: Final outline
• Content: Draft text
• Content: Initial image and object list
• Content: Interactives and audio/visual outlines
• Design: Plan w/content (CAD drawings)
• Design: Elevations and Sections (CAD drawings)
• Design: Preliminary Electrical plan (CAD draft)
• Design: Preliminary Mechanical plan (CAD draft)
• Design: Preliminary Lighting plan (CAD draft)
• Design: Exhibit Component Database
• Visuals: Interactive sketches
• Graphic Design: Exhibit graphic design
• Graphic Design: Inventory/matrix
• Graphic Design: Layout & design of typical panels
• Graphic Design: Directional Signing (way-finding) — locations plan and elevations with specifications for interior spaces
• Schedule: Revised fabrication and installation schedule
• Schedule: Revised fabrication budget
• Database of graphics
• Prototyping of interactive exhibits

DD Floor Plan

DD Exhibit Detail

Prototyping

Design Process – Final Design

By the conclusion of the Final Design phase, a complete package that illustrates the full exhibit design—h0w it will be built, where every component is located and how each works within the larger space. This package includes exhibition identification, exhibition descriptions, a database of exhibit components, measured CAD plans with content, floor plans, elevations, artifact lists, measured graphic design elements and samples, draft scripts with details for audio visual components, interactive exhibits, final text, sound and lighting systems specifications, production schedules and a fabrication cost estimate.

Once this phase is completed and has been approved by the team, the team can transition into fabrication.

Typical Deliverables for Final Design Phase

• Three in-person meetings (and distribution of meeting notes)
• Content: Final text
• C0ntent: Draft scripts: interactives & A/V
• Design : Plan w/content (measured CAD drawing)
• Design : Elevations w/graphics & dioramas/murals (measured CAD)
• Design : Sections/details (measured CAD)
• Design : Electrical plan/schedule (measured CAD)
• Design : Mechanical plan/schedule (measured CAD)
• Design : Lighting plan (measured CAD)
• Design : A/V Signal plan (measured CAD)
• Design : Finish schedule
• Design : Interactive operation diagrams
• Design : Audiovisual concept sketches
• Architectural Permit documents (as required)
• Graphic Design: Exhibit graphic design (measured drawings)
• Graphic Design: Image management & acquisition
• Exhibit component database with product and material specifications
• Schedule: Final fabrication and installation schedule
• Schedule: Final fabrication budget

FD Electrical Plan

A/V Plan

Design Process – Construction Documents (CD Also called Contract Documents)

By the conclusion of the Final Design phase, a complete package that illustrates the full exhibit design—how it will be built, where every component is located and how each works within the larger space. This package includes exhibition identification, exhibition descriptions, a database of exhibit components, measured CAD plans with content, floor plans, elevations, artifact lists, measured graphic design elements and samples, draft scripts with details for audio visual components, interactive exhibits, final text, sound and lighting systems specifications, production schedules and a fabrication cost estimate.

Once this phase is completed and has been approved by the team, the team can transition into fabrication.  Typical Deliverables for Final Design Phase

• Three in-person meetings (and distribution of meeting notes)
• Content: Final text
• Content: Draft scripts: interactives & A/V
• Design: Plan w/content (measured CAD drawing)
• Design: Elevations w/graphics & dioramas/murals (measured CAD)
• Design: Sections/details (measured CAD) Design: Electrical plan/schedule (measured CAD)
• Design: Mechanical plan/schedule (measured CAD) (if required)
• Design: Lighting plan (measured CAD)
• Design: A/V Signal plan (measured CAD)
• Design: Finish schedule
• Design: Interactive operation diagrams
• Design: Audio visual concept sketches
• Architectural Permit documents (as required)
• Graphic Design: Exhibit graphic design (measured drawings)
• Graphic Design: Image management & acquisition (as defined in budget)
• Exhibit component database with product and material specifications
• Schedule: Final fabrication and installation schedule
• Schedule: Final fabrication budget

CD Detail

The tough part, I call it “Museum Voice”, how does the museum communicate with the public?, as an “school teacher”, ” a surfing buddy”, “a driving instructor”, “a best friend”, all are valid.  A “voice” will come through if you design one or not, so be conscious of how you are communicating with the public.

Sources:

“How Museum Do Exhibits Cost” by Jay Rounds and Joyce Cheney, Exhibitionist Spring 2002, Vol 21, No.1

“Architecture and Exhibition Design: A Survey of Infrastructure” by Charles Howarth Jr. and Maeryta Medrano, ASTC, 1997 (Discovery Science Center, Santa Ana, CA, / Mark Walhimer was one of the case studies)

2010, 2009, 2008 ASTC Statistics Analysis Package

www.si.edu/opanda/reports/EXCost.pdf

http://www.aam-us.org/aboutmuseums/whatis.cfm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum

http://icom.museum/who-we-are/the-vision/museum-definition.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exhibition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design

http://www.louvre.fr/llv/musee/histoire_louvre.jsp?bmLocale=en

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitoline_Museums

Thank you all for participating in the “2011 Museum Exhibition Survey”.   59 people responded to the survey, between June 27, 2011 and July 18, 2011.

The majority of the exhibition responses were History Museums (30.5%), Science Centers (27.1%), Children’s Museums (16.9%) and Traveling Exhibitions (11.9%).  The majority of the responses are for exhibition between 1000 square feet and 5000 square feet (67.9% total).  The per square foot costs were grouped in three ranges $25-$75 per square foot (25.5% total), $100-$150 per square foot (30.6% total), $250-$350 per square foot (25.5% total).  I was pleased to see the high percentage of Project Managers and Museum Directors that responded (39 respondents or 66.1%), both roles are the most familiar with exhibition costs.

The surprises of the survey.  I was surprised by the lack of responses from Art Museums, we only received two respondents regarding Art exhibitions, that may have to do with the audience of this blog. Exhibitions were designed “In house” (52.6%), I was not aware that so many museums still have staff exhibition designers, most of the news I have been receiving has been of layoffs, I was pleased to see this high percentage of “in house” exhibition design.  It is hard to beleive that only (15.3%) of museum exhibitions are still designed in house, when I started in museums in 1980s, close to 100% of exhibitions were fabricated by museum staff.  This appears to be a trend of keeping exhibition maintenance staff and augmenting the staff with contracted exhibition fabricators.  I was surprised by the (40%) of exhibition design costs in the 25%-30% range, that is higher then expected.  I was similarly surprised by the (37.5%) of “in house” design budget in the range of 30%.

Survey Result:

The average 6000 square foot History Museum, Science Center, Children’s Museum and Traveling exhibitions are $204 per square foot with 17% spent on research, design and exhibit development.

Continue Reading

As a follow up to “How much do museum exhibitions cost?” , I have created a five (5) question survey.  The results will be posted here on Museum Planner.

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey !

-Mark

“How much do exhibitions cost?” The number one question that I am asked.

The quick answer is: “$75-$550 per square foot”

“Why such a wide range?”

An Art exhibit of mostly flat Art work, little mount making or rigging can start at $75 per square foot including graphics. An interactive Science Center exhibition with a high density of interactive exhibits can reach $550 per square foot and beyond. When Disney does preliminary estimates of their attractions they budget $650 per square foot.

Per Square Foot Costs:
Aquarium $300-$550 per sq. ft.
Science Centers $300-$550 per sq. ft. (Highly interactive)
Corporate Museum $150-$550 per sq. ft.
Natural History Museum $250-$400 per sq. ft.
Out Door Exhibits $300-$550 per sq. ft. (Interactive, high end water exhibits)
Traveling Exhibition $100-$400 per sq. ft. (Dependent on level of interactivity)
Visitor Center $150-$300 per sq. ft.
Children’s Museum $150-$350 per sq. ft.
Art Museum Exhibition $75-$200 per sq. ft. (Does not include cost of Art)

Notes:
1. All pricing dependent on level of interactivity, original exhibits and A/V
2. Costs do include, exhibition lighting, exhibition area walls, floor and wall coverings, specialty electrical requirements and exhibit costs
3. Costs do not include HVAC, base building electrical, cleaning lights, base building drywall, shipping and life / safety costs (sprinklers, exit signs, fire extinguishers)
4. Does not include back of house costs
5. Does not include FFE
6. Does not include staffing costs

Most design firms charge 20%-25% of the exhibition budget for design fees, i.e. “a 10,000 square foot science center is $300 per square foot times 10,000 sq. ft. for an exhibition budget of $3,000,000, 20% of the budget would be design fees ($600,000)”. Of the 20% design fees, approximately 25%-50% are graphic design fees, depending on the type of exhibition.

In the interest of full disclosure, I don’t work on percentage basis, I don’t believe it is fair to the client or creates the best results, we work on an hourly basis, estimating hours per phase.  I have been estimating museum exhibition costs since 1992.

Percentage of Design Fee Per Phase
Concept Development 15%
Schematic Design 30%
Design Development 40%
Final Design 15%

Total 100%

Notes:
1. Percentages are approximate; Art exhibition will have a greater percentage of conceptual development (curator fees) than a Children’s Museum.

Example Exhibition Costs:
10,000 Science Center Exhibition at $300 per square foot is $3,000,000 in exhibition costs with $600,000 in design fees.

Resources:

Exhibitionist, Vol. 21, No. 1, Spring 2002 by Jay Rounds and Joyce Cheney
2009 ASTC Statistics Analysis Package

Was at a meeting today and the conversation turned to museum design firms.  The typical museum design firm is 6-8 people with a small office in New York City, San Francisco or Washington, D.C.  As projects come in, the same group tries to “figure out” solutions for the the new exhibition.  The problem; the same 6-8 people are not as good at designing a science center exhibition as an Art museum exhibition, causing a “force fit”, trying to make the same staff “experts” in different disciplines.

Got me thinking about Procter and Gamble and their recent sale of  the Pringles brand.  Procter and Gambel is betting that it can use the $1.5 billion dollars from the sale of Pringles for the development of new brands.   Proctor and Gambel’s staretegy, their core business is “Innovation, not consumer goods”.  It is far more profitable to create successful new brands rather than  maintain existing brands.

A typical museum project is 2-4 years in development.  What if the museums were designed by virtural teams assembled only for a specific project and the project team is divided into two parts, the Research and Development team and “Off the shelf” team?  70% of most museum projects are repackaging of existing technologies and solutions, while 30% are unique to the project.   By having the “Off the shelf” team working on project management of known solutions it frees resorces for the Research and Development Team to create innovative solutions.

Museums are at a “cross roads”, if they do not learn to innovate they will continue to go away.

“Virtual Museum Design Team” Advantages:

• Nimble Project Teams
• Lower Cost
• Faster Project Cycle
• Higher rate of success (70% known solutions)

“Virtual Museum Design Team” Disadvantages:

• More complex team communication
• Higher risk to client, Virtual Museum Team an unknown entity
• New model for design

Fast Companies listing of the “Most Innovative Companies of 2011″:

http://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2011/

“How to start a Science Center”.  Designing a Science Center can be divided into ten steps that include; project objectives, exhibition design, coordination with building architecture, fabrication and installation.  Exhibition design is visually communicating casework, lighting and equipment the creates the visitor experience while considering aesthetic and functional perimeters.

A project the scale of a science center requires a group of stakeholders.  The group should include the founder, a money person, a scientist, a politician, an artist, a designer and a community leader.  Find a person to represent each, a person who can raise money, a scientist, an active politician who can make things happen, an artist, a designer, and a  community representative (PTA leader, Superintendent of Schools or a real estate developer are all great)

10 Steps:

1. Project Objectives - Maybe the toughest part of all.  Why are you building the science center?  What is the visitor experience?  What are the visitor outcomes? “World Class”, “Clean, Modern Aesthetic”, “Fun and Interactive” – really don’t tell you much at all. I often think that we each have a movie playing in our head’s when descriptions such as “Fun and Interactive” are used, one person’s “movie” is different from another’s.  The trick is to get all the stakeholders with the same movie.   The best method I have found is a research trip with all of the stakeholders.  Schedule a long weekend, for the 4-8 people that comprise the “core” team and go see at least 3-4 Science Centers.  Ask lots of questions and view different exhibits at the same time.  Document your findings from the trip.
2. Critical Mass – Sometimes the best way to start a project is to gather a group of smart, creative people with a pot of coffee, some good food and talk.  Talk for a couple of hours, “if you could create any type of Science Center, what would that place be?”, create quick concepts and take lots of notes.  Set up a meeting to review the ideas.  Type up the meeting notes and review the notes before the next meeting.  At the next meeting narrow your conversation to three or four concepts for the Science Center.  Work to create an “Umbrella concept”,  an idea that provides a superset or grouping of concepts that all fall under a single common category.   An umbrella concept is the central and coordinating concept that will represent a number of smaller, separate concepts.  Try to be relaxed and have fun.  This is the most important work you will create in the whole process.  A few examples, Exploratorium -”An ongoing exploration of science, art, and human perception”, Discovery Science Center – “Science Southern California Style”, “The Tech Museum of Innovation” (the name says it all), The Museum of Science and Industry – Coal Mine, Silver Streak, Farm Tech, U-505 and the Wright Flyer.  With each example the Umbrella Concept is the unifying concept for the institution a sort of “elevator speech” for the Science Center.  Take your time and try on several unifying concepts before deciding on one, make sure you have enough “critical mass” of exhibit ideas to support the Umbrella Concept.
3. Filters There is no shortage of good ideas.  Often the tough part is having a way to separate one good idea from another.  Create a set of “Exhibition Filters”; guiding principles by which exhibits are chosen or rejected.  The filters become the criteria by which the exhibits are judged to be included as part of the overall Science Center.  Examples of Exhibition Filters, “Wherever possible exhibits will be open ended with multiple outcomes”, “Exhibits will be discovery based vs. didactic” and “Exhibits and environments will be built with exposed fasteners and connections”. Make sure your Exhibition Filters are in line with your Umbrella Concept.   Run a couple of tests, “we know we would like XYZ exhibit in the science center, does it pass our Exhibition Filters?
4. Design and Research Concept Development, Schematic Design, Design Development and Final Design are the phases of exhibition design.  As the process goes through iterations, more and more details will be added to the design.  During Concept Design, you will be reviewing area themes and space allocation, schematic design, you will be reviewing rough layouts of exhibits in areas, Design development, you will be reviewing dimensioned drawings of each area and Final Design will be details of case design and AV systems.  The Fabricator will be creating Working Drawings for review prior to fabrication.  Accept and embrace that exhibition design is a never ending process, even on opening day, you will still be making changes and revisions.  Revisions are not mistakes.  What you are creating has never existed before.  Until you have hundreds of people in the science center you are not going to know how it all works.  A friend of mine says “designers are people who can see the future”, she may be right.  A design is an image of the future, but only “an” image, the “image” will change with time.
5. Architecture Sometimes the building comes first and you have to do a “force fit”, “how do you create your umbrella concept in the planned architecture?”.  Sometimes you create a the Umbrella Concept and work with an architect to reflect the umbrella concept in the architecture.  The truth is the second is much more difficult than the first.  Architects are NOT exhibition designers.  Often exhibition designers and architects think very differently.  Architects are concerned about creating spaces, exhibition designers are concerned with creating activities.   In the best relationships the architect creates a space to house the activities of the Science Center.  You want a very patient architect, by design your process will be ever changing, and that will mean changes to the architecture.  Define the spaces for the exhibitions, create “foot prints” of each exhibition area.  Include, lighting, HVAC, electrical, doors, windows and create a elevations of the space and reflected ceiling plans.
6. 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 There are thousands of science centers all over the world, there is no need to “redesign the wheel”.  1/3 of the exhibits should be original to the Science Center, 1/3 purchased from a vendor or science center and modified and 1/3 should be bought “off the shelf”.   Once you have established the areas of your science center, go visit at least ten science centers and find out what exhibits could be used for your science center. Start a data base of the exhibits that can be purchased “off the shelf”, which ones you like but would like modified and exhibits that you would like original to the science center.  To the “nah sayers”, Frank Oppenheimer the founder of the Exploratorium researched existing science class experiments as the starting point for the Exploratorium.
7. Science Center Icons Create an icon for the Science Center and create an icon for each exhibition area.  I often think about the “parking lot conversation”, when people are walking back to there car after visiting the science center “what is the one exhibit they will be talking about?”  Make sure that you have that “wow” exhibit for the science center and each exhibition area.  A few samples of icons, the Tactile Dome at the Exploratorium, The Cube at Discovery Science Center and The Hoberman Sphere at Liberty Science Center.
   
8. Fabricate Ask other science centers who they used for fabrication, ask local building contractors for the names of casework companies and speak to your local convention center about trade show fabricators.  Start a list of ten fabricators and go visit each shop and ask to meet the project manager.  Walk through the shop and look at the projects in the shop, look at the quality of the work, review the working drawings in the shop.  Narrow your search down to three  fabricators and ask each to prototype an exhibit and tell them you are choosing between three shops and one of the shops will win the project contract.  Choose your fabricator by the quality of their project manager, the quality of the shops workmanship and their reputation and response to warranty requests.
9. Prototype, Prototype, Prototype One third of the exhibits will be bought “off the shelf”, leaving two thirds that will either be original to the science center or modified “off the shelf”.  Some of the original exhibits will be from artists, some will be built by the selected  fabricator and some will be modified “off the shelf” that will be modified by the original vendor.  Start a list of the exhibits to be prototyped and group them by type.  Create a relationship with a local Art museum, library, middle school or college and prototype the exhibits there.  Test the exhibits with the public and evaluate the responses and modify the exhibits according to the evaluation.  
   
10. Install, Open and Archive Installation, opening and archiving is part of the design process.  During installation there will be lots of small (and maybe large) decisions made; changes in exhibit placement, changes in lighting, changes in exhibit parts and all of those decisions need to be captured in “as built drawings”, maintenance manuals and archived for future changes and maintenance.

Be as transparent as possible.  Include others in the process and ask for feedback, use facebook, tweeter and a blog and include people in the process.

Funny isn’t it, only one of the ten steps even mentions drawings !  Drawings are not designs, drawings are the culmination of lots of research and thinking.  Some Science Centers such as the Exploratorium don’t even create drawings until after the exhibition has been prototyped and evaluated. The best exhibit designs happen through research, creativity, evaluation and luck.

Would love to hear comments about the ten steps above.  A future post will be the “10 steps to Project Managing the Opening of a Science Center.

Just finished work at the Tech Museum as Exhibit Producer of the new Silicon Valley Innovation Gallery.  While at the Tech Museum had the pleasure of working with Jason Holt of Google on the installation of Liquid Galaxy.   Liquid Galaxy is Google’s immersive Google Earth environment comprised of eight 55-inch LCD screens showing Google Earth in a surround view.   Liquid Galaxy started as a 20% project and has since grown to have installations in Google offices all over the world. As of September 30th, Google has made the code and hardware available to build your own Liquid Galaxy.

Google Blog Liquid Galaxy Entry:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/galaxy-of-your-own.html

Liquid Galaxy website:

http://code.google.com/p/liquid-galaxy/