This idea came up again at the MAAM Building Museums Symposium last week. Which is sometimes a sign that I should finally write it down. When we simultaneously design a museum and the core exhibitions in it, it’s like making a peanut butter cup. …

In exhibitions, black box refers to a gallery space that doesn’t matter. It is all black. We take the term from black box theater. Black box is a term in engineering and airplane safety too. In all three cases, the container is irrelevant. The content is what we care about. …

You’re done making the documents that you’ll use to get bids. But what will happen if all the bids you get are over budget? Maybe you got estimates along the way. Maybe you could drum up more funding if need be. Maybe you have strict procurement rules. …

Museums today appear in countless panicky essays in the press. But that doesn’t mean museums are doomed. It does mean it’s time to fight for hearts and minds. Possibilities abound. For now, let’s talk about sneakers. …

What does collaboration look like, in exhibition projects? Ten people putting up post-its, drawing on floor plans, and listening? That happens. And it’s fun. But there are at least three more common modes: Ping-Pong, Relay Race, and Crew Team. …

Keepers of important collections and facts want to show as many as possible to the public. Which means never repeating things. But you can repeat a digital image, a word, or an idea as often as you like. Why would you? Because visitors need it. …

What is a “growth mindset” — and why is it more important than ever for our industry? What happens when we combine museology with the fast-growing field of positive psychology? Do we sometimes all take ourselves … too seriously? Give it a listen! …

Exhibition and experience projects usually follow what economists would call a “smiling curve” of effort. That’s a curve shaped like a smile, basically a wide “u”. It maps effort (vertical) over time (horizontal). At the start we’re on the left side of the smile …

You almost certainly know about immersive art, the for-profit trend that influences the development of museum exhibitions and experiences today in many ways. But that’s not the only thing out there. Introducing the “tainments” (all real) …

Can a museum revitalize a city? Are design competitions a good idea? What comes first in design, practicality or fun? Andy Klemmer (Founder, Paratus Group) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to reveal “The Real Bilbao Effect”.

Visitors don’t expect to find raw, unfinished building materials like chain link fencing, raw plywood, or unpainted concrete blocks in an exhibition. These materials can be both memorable and affordable. But there’s a “but”.

PHIL: You’re furrowing your brow. MONIQUE: I need a working title and a catchy organizing principle for this little civics exhibition I’m doing. PHIL: Try the Rule of Three. You might solve both. MONIQUE: Rule of what? …

How can we raise the voices of people of color in museums and exhibitions — and what stands in the way? What is Museum Hue? What constitutes a sustainable museum job? Could exhibitions be one of the best places to make visible change happen?

Every exhibition and experience project team has multiple personalities. But that’s good. The trick is creating an atmosphere that allows each to be themselves, permits conflicts to arise, and resolves them collegially. Tension is a byproduct of what’s needed. …

“Phygital.” It’s a running joke at MtM, the podcast. It’s a portmanteau, blending the sounds and meanings of “physical” and “digital”. Other portmanteaus seen at MtM: animatronic, edutainment, guesstimate, hazmat, metaverse, starchitect …

What do technologies like the Apple Vision Pro mean for exhibitions and experiences? Neil Redding (Near Futurist and SXSW Speaker) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Near Future of Experience Design”. …

I was once given a tour of a new exhibition by the curator. Among hundreds of objects was a large item, very damaged, behind all the others. When I learned what it was, it was the damage that made it the most interesting object there for me. …

Visitors don’t perceive architecture and exhibitions as separate. They’re part of one experience. We develop and fund them separately, but that’s just us. Architecture can inspire awe. Vast sums are raised to create new ones for this reason. …

Great projects happen because of great teams. But how do you build that team in the first place? Who should a museum hire first? How do you decide whether staff should run a project, or if you need help from outside? What’s an “owner’s rep” anyway? …

Have you ever re-watched an old film you once loved for its special effects — only to find it didn't age well? The media and tech industries raise the bar on production values daily. Museums can’t keep up. How can we keep media content fresh longer? …