Exhibits go beyond signs

CSS 387

February 16, 2012

Placement of text and objects

No text and no small objects should be closer than ____________________to the floor

Titles/subtitles - ________________________

Nothing higher than__________________

Text as close as possible to ___________________ with viewer’s line of sight

Low-mounted texts – ________________-degree angle

Placement of labels Must be near objects

In line-of sight with objects

Exhibits are _______________________– People read title first, but scanpath may vary– Sequence & transitions may not work– Eyes often move from top left to lower right– You can use color to guide viewing

How can you add interest? Not too much text

Make exhibits visual

Choose objects for _________________________

Use senses, like ________________

How can you add interest?

Use interesting ____________________

Use _________________________ letters & mounts

Mount __________________ on background

Use hidden __________________________ behind mounted elements

How can you add interest? Use ____________________________

in foreground

Use _____________________________

Use transparent _______________

__________________________ large objects

Make exhibits interactive

Interactive:

Physical activity beyond sight; requiring involvement; stimulating; freedom of navigation;

manipulation of information

Examples:

Human scale

Flip panels

Touchables

Modern visitors wantEntertainment

Gratification

Info everywhere

Personalized info

Sharing with others

Creativity

Note: See Stogner (2009) and Bannon et al. (2005) for examples

Interactives – general guides Be aware of energy

required -- avoid _______________________ People will do strange things

People are ______________________ – design for this

Don’t overdo it with high tech– People in one study said computers were lowest in

interest– People want to see “real stuff”

Interactives – general guides Make experiences ____________________ –

must work immediately (few seconds)

– __________________________ is the single most important feature

– Can be audio, visual, tactile

– Controls must provide ______________________

– Common: failure to provide __________________ feedback

– Line of sight responses

Think of people as monkeys

– Make handles __________________________

– Will ___________________

– People will push harder and more vigorously if things don’t respond

– Use _______________________________ (buttons, handles)

– People follow other people’s cues

– People like ____________________________ (race against clock)

– People are literal

Interactives – general guides People experiment –

don’t assume a ____________________!

– Number _____________________________– Organize logically (e.g., clockwise)

– Show the _________________________ points– Use as few controls as possible

– Provide feedback ________________________

Cons of interactives May reduce ______________________

Keeping ___________________________

____________________________ visitors Stimulus overload

Create ____________________________ Often too technical or subtle

Pros of interactives Opportunities for _____________________

More ______________________________

Highly effective if _____________________

Cost of interactives Static exhibits: $________________ per ft2

Interactives: $___________________ per ft2

Why so much?– Research and development– Operational complexity of production– Costs of footage and filming– Obsolescence– Operating costs – maintenance 6x static

Special considerations for exhibitions

Traffic flow

Behavioral tendencies

Space requirements

Use and protection of objects

Traffic flow Options:

Unstructured:

Suggested:

Directed:

Movement tendencies

Turning _________________________ and following the right wall to first door

Stopping at first exhibit Preference for places with _____________ Walking in straight lines

Avoiding _______________________ places

Not looking _________________

Touch Attention

Attentional Factors Think of visitors as window shoppers Exhibits on shortest routes get most

attention People are more likely to read larger type Museum fatigue

Design Strategies Create attractive, large, bright left turn, or

use a barrier pools of light and color Use “landmark” exhibits Use lines to lead people Change ceiling height, colors, light, aisle

width to create curiosity Heterogeneity Minimize mental effort Provoke interest

Space requirements

Circulation space

“vista” space Thematic exhibitions

– 15-35% occupied by collections; 65-75% circulation/vista

3D art exhibitions– <25% installations, 75% circulation and vista

Min. of 30-50 ft2 per person at peak times– E.g., a 2000 ft2 gallery feels right with 20 people

Exhibit Environment Temperature Relative humidity Particulate matter/pollutants Biological organisms Reactivity of materials Light

Optimum environment 70 degrees; 50% RH Keep dust out Off-gas concerns UV – highest in fluorescent light Heat – highest in incandescent Stable conditions for wood, leather, paper,

dyes, feathers –– volume of air should be 5x the volume of the

objects to buffer humidity

Supplementary Materials

Catalog? Brochures? Special events (lectures, reception)?

Budgeting Production

Publications

Shipping

Fees

Insurance

Other

Costs Rough rule: at least $200/square foot, for all

planning, design, fabrication– 20-25% is for planning and design– 10-15% is for delivery and installation– 65% is for actual exhibits– Add 10-15% more if design and build elements are

split– Interactives can be much more expensive

Example – Collier State Park

Materials Specs Low High

Guide Books (5000) 28 pp, BW 2,800 3,200

Map/Brochure (5000) 9”x12” 2 fold, color paper

3,250 3,500

Indoor exhibits Per square ft. 250 450

Video Per minute 1500 2500

Outdoor exhibits (24” x 36” mounted panel)

Fiberglass embed; 3 screen print

colors; 2 photos

2,400 2,900

Audio posts Solar powered, post, panel

1,000 1,250

Example – Arctic Interagency VC

Exhibit Area Low High

Reception 550 sf $46,700 $53,370

Circumpolar Lobby 1292 sf $114,000 $125,400

Clues for Discovery 1387 sf

Boreal Forest $131,800 $144,780

Brooks Range $99,500 $109,450

North Slope $41,600 $45,560

Coastal Plain $61,400 $67,540

Total 3229 $495,000 $544,100