What’s awe? A blockbuster movie might be “awesome”. And we might be “in awe” of someone’s “awe-inspiring” talents. But what is it? An emotion. Awe is a hybrid of fear, veneration and wonder. And you see it a lot — in exhibitions. 

Because exhibitions are a curious mix of message and space, they sometimes generate curious ideas. One of the most curious: verbal clichés as design inspiration. Sure, there are “two sides to every story”. But maybe don’t build a big panel with stories on two sides?

When is the earliest time you should estimate costs for your exhibition or experience project? A. As soon as you have approved technical drawings. B. As soon as you have a concept design package. C. When you barely know what you’re doing.

In art, the Latin term horror vacui (fear of empty space) refers to the urge to fill a visual composition, leaving no areas empty. Exhibition planners often grapple with horror vacui. In modern art exhibitions, less so, but with most other types, it’s common. But beware!

How can we plan better projects using the “attract, reveal, reward” system? What’s a “wunderkammer”? Professor, designer, and museum director Tim McNeil (UC Davis) joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to give us a sneak peek of his upcoming book.

SVEN: You guys coming to my session, “Objects Speak for Themselves”? PHIL: Yep! MONIQUE: [Gestures with coffee] Yep! PHIL: [Mutters] So untrue. MONIQUE: No, I’m really going. PHIL: I mean his title. It should be “Objects Can’t Speak for Themselves.”

When a stakeholder suggests expensive additions midway through a project, make it gently clear — on the spot — if you think it might be over budget. Don’t refuse. Just be clear. (This is a black belt cost control tip.)

When the design for your whatsis — museum, experience, wall, interactive software — is cluttered, you have two options. Last time we covered Option 1: Reduce. The second option is not for the faint of heart. But it’s my favorite.

Ever been in a situation where the design for your museum, exhibition, experience, wall — let’s say whatsis — is cluttered? It’s unclear and overstuffed. Exhibitions are particularly clutter-prone. What to do? You have two options.

What’s the best way to organize the content in our experiences? What if you learned there were five ways to do it — and only five? Host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) does a solo podcast on “L.A.T.C.H.”, the framework proposed by TED founder Richard Saul Wurman.

PHIL: I have to cut part of my project. MONIQUE: [Looks for barista] Why? PHIL: Out of time. MONIQUE: Why? PHIL: We didn’t have costs until now. MONIQUE: Why? PHIL: [Furrows brow] We didn’t get them estimated yet. MONIQUE: Why? PHIL: [Annoyed] We could only do it at the end! And why do you keep saying why?

(Time — the “T” in L.A.T.C.H. — is one of the five fundamental organizing principles of exhibitions. See them all here.) Chronology is a common exhibition structure. But there are more twists on it than you think. Here are five:

SEGD, the Society of Experiential Graphic Design, was kind enough to interview me about Making the Museum in their weekly newsletter and blog just now. A big thank you to SEGD — and for permission to reprint it here. (This will be longer than the usual one-minute read.)

Quick, what’s your new exhibition based on?
A. Thing-based
B. Idea-based
C. Wait, is this a trick question?

Is everything “phygital”? How can a “phygital mindset” lead to better experience design? Exhibition designer and “phygital architect” Alin Tocmacov joins host Jonathan Alger to hash out some key principles, in “8 Ways to Be Phygital”.

We could pack endless content into our experiences … but people can’t absorb that. A single idea in a gallery is powerful … but that’s not efficient. How do we find balance? Here’s a loose rule of thumb: One idea per surface, at most.

My research prep for an appearance on a podcast became ten insights that changed how I think. Here are the last five. — #6. Any new space is immersive. Any time we are “dipped” into new “fluid” we are immersed. New surroundings demand attention.

We all either love "immersive" — or are fed up with it. Or both. The inimitable Charlie Morrow invited me on his podcast, "Immerse!", which is about ... you know. I did some prep research. I found ten ideas that changed how I think about what I do.

Walt Disney’s new theme park needed new experiences that could market themselves to visitors. Touring the property, his dog was a reluctant companion. Walt lured him along with cocktail sausages. Where a “weenie” was, his dog was sure to go. And inspiration struck.

Is lighting art or science? About light, or about shadows? Lighting designers Steven Rosen and Ted Mather (Available Light) join host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) on Making the Museum, the podcast, to discuss Revealing the Story with Light.