Journalists write news articles according to what’s called the “inverted pyramid” style, where the lead paragraph contains all the key information readers must know. The summary is the first paragraph, not the last. …

Don’t know the term “LBE”? No worries. It’s just that … you probably make it for a living. “LBE” stands for “location based entertainment.” LBE is any form of entertainment outside the home, based in a particular location. …

QR codes continue their extended renaissance in museums (and in museum conference slides). BTW, QR codes are older than we think. They were invented a generation ago to track parts on Japanese assembly lines. …

At the moment, we Americans are debating many things. And clearly, the most important national debate of them all is still whether we should all say “exhibition design” or “experience design.” (Rolls eyes.) But meanwhile …

This might seem a little crazy. But stick with me. Spending is good. Exhibition and experience project budgets are meant to be spent. We acquired our budget to use it. The more we spend, the more we get. …

The excellent people at the Matters of Experience podcast had me on the show to talk about exhibition projects, leading a design studio, and intentionally working with clients who scare you a little at first. (Yes, we also talked about AI.) …

Longtime readers know there are only five ways (!!) to organize exhibition information. But knowing how to organize doesn’t tell us how much to organize. When the quantity of exhibition content is essentially endless, where do we stop? …

If I had a dollar for every time I had to talk someone out of still trying to use a projector in a bright exhibition space, I’d have … many dollars. Anyway, it happens a lot. Despite our optimism that it will work anyway. Here’s why it won’t. (Ever.) …

What’s “program” mean? This will be easy. Let’s ask around the museum. Developer: “Programs” are the code we write for computers. Educator: No, “programs” are our tours and classes. Event Manager: What? “Programs” are our handouts. …

What if the secret to better museums was … neuroscience? Lynda Roscoe Hartigan (Executive Director and CEO of the Peabody Essex Museum) discusses “Creating Effective Museum Experiences” with host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners). …

Here’s a thought that’s crazy but true: an exhibition is a communication medium you can walk through. Unlike almost any other channel of communication, exhibitions are dimensional. And the audience is physically inside the channel. …

Tropes don’t only appear in a genre. They define the genre. Here are five from museum exhibitions: #1. The Systematic Rail.
Three feet off the ground. Keeps visitors from the displays. Often has information perched on it. Now, #2 …

Exhibition planning meeting running low on bold ideas? Here‘s a simple trick: as a thought exercise, ask some disaster questions, like, “What if we could only exhibit one thing? How would we make it amazing?” Now, why not do that anyway? …

Please never put your Mona Lisa in the lobby. You’ll be wasting one of your best opportunities. So where should we put it? Where do we put our iconic experience, that thing we’re known for? Sky’s the limit, really. But here’s an idea starter kit: …

The audience hushes as the actor enters. She glides through shadows to a pool of light, and begins to speak. In a dark theater, an actor is irrelevant until they are lit. If the actor isn’t lit, the actor isn’t there. The same is true in exhibition design. …

Making the Museum, the podcast, just turned 2. Aww. So cute! And I found out the modern way: my software sent me a digital accomplishment badge. I might digitally frame it. It’s been quite a couple of years. Here are some stats: …

What if our exhibits were experiments? Ann Neumann (Director of Galleries and Exhibitions, MIT Museum) discusses “Museum as Lab” with host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). …

That black circle in your eye is not a dot. It’s a hole in your eyeball. Your pupils are black like a keyhole is black when the room beyond has no light. (Guess what causes redeye in a photo. Take your time. Hint: it’s a little gross.) …

Some words confuse as much as they help. (Yeah, I’m looking at you, program. developer. and immersive.) Words for display objects aren’t much better. “Artifact” seems clear enough. But what about “repro,” “facsimille,” and “replica”? Sheesh. …

For exhibitions that will be busy, we don’t like interactives only meant for one visitor at a time. Why? Because single-visitor experiences can’t serve enough people to be efficient. So then we plan for large group interactivity. But wait …