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4K. A digital resolution 3,840 pixels wide x 2,160 pixels high. Can refer to equipment such as a monitor, or content such as a video. 3,840 is nearly 4,000, hence “4K”. HD, “High Definition,” is half that: 1920 x 1,080. Even in 2025, HD is actually still viable, and 4K is not always called for.
A
ADA. A 1990 American civil rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination in public spaces. This includes legal requirements like ramps for those with mobility issues, captioning of audio-visual for those who cannot hear, and braille on certain signage for those with vision impairments, among many others. Many countries have an ADA equivalent.
Archival materials. Substances safe to have in an environment with important artifacts. Archival materials don't emit toxic gases or attract pests. Example: museum grade display cases need to be built using archival materials.
B
Bezel. The border of a monitor; the space between the outside edge of the glass and the outside edge of the housing. All screens are rectangular, glass, and have a bezel. Monitors meant to be right next to one another to create one big picture have very thin bezels, but can’t have no bezel.
Bid form. A standardized spreadsheet document given to each potential builder who bids on a project. A bid form ensures each contender gives a detailed pricing breakdown in a consistent apples-to-apples format, to allow the owner to fully compare bids.
Blocking. The practice of putting additional hidden structure (often sheets of plywood) inside or behind gallery walls. Hidden blocking allows heavier artworks to be supported when hung on a wall, and for works needing more security to be more firmly attached.
C
Cap height. In typography, the height of a capital letter with a flat top, like an X. (As opposed to "x height," the height of a lowercase letter with a flat top, like an x.) In exhibitions, cap heights are better discussed in inches or millimeters, not points.
Capital project. A big, capital-intensive (aka expensive) project to make or improve a major physical asset of an organization. A new wing of a museum, or a new exhibition meant to last several years or more are both capital projects.
Change order. In exhibitions and other physical design projects, a change order is a formal document that modifies the original scope, cost, or schedule of the work after a contract has already been signed. It records approved changes—such as design revisions, material substitutions, or unforeseen construction needs—and ensures all parties agree to the adjustments.
Color vision deficiency. The correct term for color blindness, because most who have it can see some colors. There are many variations, each meaning you can't distinguish certain colors like most can. In rare types you can't see any.
Color Rendering Index (CRI). A measure of the ability of a light source to make an object's colors look normal in comparison to a natural or ideal source of light. A CRI of 90-100 is great (think high-end art museum). A CRI below 70 isn't (think factory).
Completion bond. A financial side contract that guarantees monetary compensation if a project isn’t finished, due to contractor bankruptcy for example. The payout is used to try to complete the project another way. Used in construction and filmmaking. Completion bonds cost a fee paid by the project, like insurance.
Condition report. A detailed record documenting the physical state of an object or artwork, including its condition, any damage, and previous conservation treatments. It is a guide for conservation decisions and a record of the object's history.
Contingency. A reserved amount of money set aside in a project budget to cover unforeseen expenses, or take advantage of unexpected opportunities. In project involving building something, this could include design changes, unexpected construction issues, or weather delays.
D
Decibel (dB). [DEHH-sihh-bell] Decibels are the unit of measure of loudness of a sound. 0 dB is the softest sound a human can hear, 30 dB is a whisper, 60 dB is a conversation, and 130 dB is an ambulance.
Deliverables. The quantifiable goods and services turned over to the client in the course of a project. For example, an in-house exhibition design team works for a year on an exhibition for their colleagues. Usually that work is not seen by the client, but at certain times they deliver a set of drawings (deliverables) for review.
Design day. The average peak visitation day, or “day to design for.” Attractions should be sized for the average high-visitation day (never the very highest days, or your space will feel empty otherwise). Not to be confused with International Design Day, April 27th. Who knew?
Design development, or "DD" (Phase). In a three-phase design process for an exhibition or building, the "DD" phase comes in the middle. Concept Design establishes the vision overall; Design Development creates refined drawings that specify the size, quantities and materials of everything; and Final Design creates the instructions to build it.
Design-Build. [Also: Design/Build, D/B] An alternative approach for constructing an exhibition or museum space, where one contract includes both designer and builder. (Traditional "Design-Bid-Build" requires separate contracts for each.) Both methods have pros and cons.
Didactic. Used as a noun, "a didactic" refers to a piece of interpretive or educational content, often texts, that provide contextual information about an exhibition element. Typically written by curators, these can take the form of a text panel, artifact label, or interactive video.
Diorama. [dye-uh-RAH-ma] A realistic model of a scene, usually with three-dimensional human and/or natural figures, scenic elements and a background mural (without a mural, it's called a model). Can be 1:1 scale, or miniature, or larger than life size. Often behind glass.
E
Exhibition developer. A person responsible for shaping the interpretive concept and visitor experience of an exhibition. They act as a bridge between content, design, and audience, ensuring the exhibition’s messages are clear and engaging. The developer role is not the same as a curator, writer, or designer, though they might work with all three.
F
Final production art (FPA). The digital files used by a production company to actually print the visuals for an exhibition. Not the same as the "final design" files, which come earlier. Some call this "final digital art," or "FDA." (And in pre-digital times, this was called "mechanicals" or "camera-ready art.")
First article. A single initial unit, fabricated completely. Fully working and usable in the installation. A great test of the real thing (because it is the real thing). And if it passes muster, you can use it — and not pay to make it twice.
Fitout. Construction process that turns a raw space into one suitable for occupancy. Most commonly heard in commercial building, the term also applies to filling an empty gallery space with exhibits.
Font. The specific weight and size from within a typeface that you actually use to set the style of letters and numbers. Helvetica Extended Bold, 12 point, is a font. (See also: typeface.)
Footcandles. The unit of measurement for the amount of light falling on a surface. One "FC" is the amount of light cast by one candle onto a 12 inch x 12 inch square from one foot away. (Not to be confused with lumens, which measure how much a light emits; or lux, the metric equivalent.)
French Cleat, or Cleat. A mounting system commonly used in exhibition and art installation to securely hang objects — wall panels, display cases — while allowing for easy adjustment and removal. One long strip cut at an angle is attached to the wall, the other to the hung object. They interlock by gravity.
Front-end evaluation. Visitor studies done in the very earliest stages of planning an exhibition. The project team finds out what the target audience already knows about the subject, their misconceptions, and what they find especially relevant. (More on the other three evaluation stages soon,)
G
Gantt chart. A visual way of showing a project schedule, with a list of tasks on the left, and time units across the top. Each task becomes a horizontal bar representing a duration. (Yes, the word is capitalized and has two t's; it was first popularized by a guy named Henry Gantt over 100 years ago.)
Gate. The revenues a museum, or other venue, makes from ticket sales to attend its exhibitions. "The Museum of Forks made more last year from the gate than from rentals." Taking steps to increase gate can help offset other revenue losses, such as, oh I don't know, federal funding.
General Contractor (GC). The primary party responsible for overseeing and managing a construction project to completion. A GC hires all the specialty workers, gets the permits and take care of safety. In a high-performance museum building, you want a GC that's done it before.
H
Halation. [hay-LAY-shun] In text labels, an effect where bright text on a dark background in low light can appear to have a blurry glow for some people (e.g., people with astigmatism). Note: some prefer bright-on-dark text (e.g., those with cateracts). There is no perfect solution.
Holdback. A practice in projects for building something, where the owner holds back a small percentage of each payment (i.e. 5-10%) to a contractor until the project is finished and approved. This can protect a project from risks like poor work or unpaid subcontractors.
HVAC. [AITCH-vack or aitch-vee-ay-CEE] Acronym for "heating, ventilation, and air conditioning." All the systems that move air through a building, and heat, cool, humidify and dehumidify it. HVAC includes components like furnaces, ducts, vents, chillers, and filters.
I
Immersive. [Foundational definition] Any experiences that surround the visitor, fully engaging their senses and emotions to make them more psychologically present. Spatial design, storytelling, lighting, and sound can all play a role, with or without digital technology.
Immersive. [Trendy definition] Large-scale art show experiences where visitors are surrounded by projected visuals, soundscapes, and lighting effects on walls, floors, and ceilings all around them.
Induction loop. A type of assistive listening system, a loop of wire, that beams sound magnetically straight into hearing aids in public spaces. The hearing aid has to be set to "T" (telecoil) to get the signal. You can make small loops for individual exhibits, and perimeter loops for whole theaters.
Install. [IN-stall] [Emphasis on first syllable.] Noun. A common industry shortening of the word "installation." "How did the IN-stall of the new display case go this weekend?"
Inverted pyramid. A journalistic writing style where information is presented in descending order of importance, with the most critical details at the top (the lead) and supporting details following. Also works well in exhibition writing, and even in laying out whole exhibitions.
L
L.A.T.C.H., or LATCH. A theory, proposed by Richard Saul Wurman in the 1990s, that you can organize any information (such as an exhibition) in only five ways: by Location, Alphabet, Time, Category, or Hierarchy (aka Continuum).
LCD. Acronym for "liquid crystal display." In museum exhibitions, usually refers to flat screen monitors. LCDs al have a glowing backlight and a layer of liquid crystals that change orientation to permit light through. Easily confused with LED, a different technology for digital displays.
Leading. (LEDD-ing) In typography, the empty space between horizontal lines of text. Originally named after the lead (the metal kind) bar that was placed between metal letters in printing presses. (Note the pronunciation is different than in LEED-ing, meaning "foremost".)
LED. Acronym for "light emitting diode." In museum exhibitions, LED typically refers to a digital display surface made of tiles that can be assembled into many sizes and shapes. Made of teensy light bulbs that emit colors directly. Easily confused with LCD, a different technology that currently mostly takes the form of fixed-proportion flat screens.
Legibility. Being visually clear enough to distinguish. If a text is legible, the next question is whether it is written so you can read it, which is "readability." Legibility is about appearance, readibility is about writing.
Linear media. Media that plays without external influence or visitor control. Includes films, video clips, soundscapes. Not interactive, reactive, dynamic or algorithmic. Combinations are possible and common, e.g., an experience where visitors choose videos to watch is linear media running inside interactive media.
Footcandles. The unit of measurement for the amount of light falling on a surface. One "FC" is the amount of light cast by one candle onto a 12 inch x 12 inch square from one foot away. (Not to be confused with lumens, which measure how much a light emits; or lux, the metric equivalent.)
M
Maintenance manual. A comprehensive document, sometimes a binder, with all the information needed for an owner to maintain an exhibition. Typically produced by the builders of a project, the manual includes instructions to replenish consumables, repair problems, and access behind-the-scenes areas.
Market analysis. For a proposed museum or large exhibition project, a market analysis is advance research done to predict feasibility, demand, attendance, competition, and revenue. It is (hopefully) conducted before significant design or investment decisions are made.
MEP. (em-ee-PEE) An abbreviation that stands for “mechanical, electrical and plumbing." MEP engineers design and oversee the installation of most of the core systems in a building like a museum. (HVAC is a subset of MEP).
Microclimate. In museums, a space with different environmental conditions than the surrounding area, such as a display case or storage room. Microclimates preserve artifacts by keeping them in ideal conditions to minimize deterioration.
Mockup. A non-functioning, partial assembly of an exhibition element, focusing on aesthetics and design only. Helps visualize final appearance. Made quickly, discarded eventually. (See also: sample, prototype, first article.)
Mood board. A visual collage combining images, words, and/or pieces of materials. Originally glued to an actual board, now usually digital. Used to inspire a design process by seeing what others have already done. (If you want to do something actually new, go a step further and make a Bad Mood Board instead.)
Mount maker. Artisan responsible for making artifact mounts (aka object mounts). Mounts come in a huge range of sizes and materials, but most physically support artifacts safely during display, storage, preservation, and transportation.
Museum of Forks. Fictitious, but exceptional, museum often used in Making the Museum as an example. Used here, here, and here.
N
NIC. "Not In Contract." In the drawings for a building project (like an exhibition), "NIC" can be used to clearly label things the contractor is not meant to build. For example, a floor plan for an exhibit might label a nearby area "Restroom (NIC)."
O
Oddy test. [AHD-ee] A test to detect toxic off-gassing from a material proposed to be in the same airspace as a sensitive museum object (e.g. in a display case). Invented by scientist William Oddy at the British Museum. Involves sealing a sample of the material in a chamber with various metal chips to see if they corrode.
Open captions. Text that's permanently included in a video to make it accessible to those with hearing impairments. Also known as "burned-in" or "embedded." They are always visible, and can't be turned off. Also common in social media videos. (See also Closed Captions)
Offgas, or outgas. The release of unwanted chemicals into the air by a product or material. Offgassing substances should not be used in the interior of a conservation grade museum display case.
P
Page-turner meeting. A detailed, line-by-line review of final exhibition drawings and content with the full project team to confirm alignment, catch errors, and ensure everything is ready for fabrication without surprises.
Project management. The process of planning, organizing, and controlling resources to achieve a project's goals. Goals often include being done on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of stakeholders. (Not the same as ongoing “management” because projects have finite outcomes and end dates.)
Projection mapping. Projecting a video onto an irregular surface with an uncommon shape and dimensional form (e.g., building facade, landscape model, sculpture). Video content is "mapped" uniquely onto the specific forms of the projection surface.
Prototype. A functioning, partial physical assembly of a component. Made early in the design or building process as a test before full production. Can be actual size or smaller. Discarded eventually. (See also: sample, mockup, first article.)
Punch list, or punchlist. In construction-type projects like exhibitions, a document created near the end of the process that lists items that need to be corrected, inspected, or that are not complete. The contractor or fabricator is responsible to complete these. Punch lists are often reviewed during a walkthrough.
Pupillary response. Constriction or dilation of the black-looking opening in the center of your eyeball. Pupils constrict (close) extremely quickly when seeing something bright, but dilate (open) very slowly when seeing something dark.
R
Reading rate, or reading speed. The rate at which a person can comfortably read and understand text, in words per minute (WPM). Average adult reading speed is 200 WPM or higher under ideal conditions. However, reading speed can drop to under 100 WPM for children, non-native speakers, those with impairments, and anyone especially intent on comprehending a text. The body of an MtM article is always 200 words or less, so it can be read in less than one minute. This MtM Word of the Day entry is a total of 000 words.
Relative humidity {RH}. A measure of water vapor in the air, expressed as a percentage between 0% and 100%. RH describes how much actual water vapor the air is holding, relative to the maximum amount the air could hold at that temperature. Warmer air can hold more water vapor that cold air.
S
Sample. A single chip, swatch, or chunk that represents a single material, finish, or color. Used to confirm that one single thing. (See also: mockup, prototype, first article.)
Sans serif. [saanz-sair-uff] Originally French, meaning "without serifs". A serif is a small line or curve attached to a typographic letterform, for example on either side of the base of a capital "T". A sans serif typeface, Arial for example, doesn't have them. Times New Roman does.
Scenography. The design of the on-stage environment of a theatrical production, which may include the set, lighting and costumes. In some European countries, the term is also a synonym for exhibition design.
Shop drawings. Highly detailed technical drawings produced by builders that are used to actually build the work in a way specific to their "shop". Shop drawings are based on, and more detailed than, the final design or construction drawings by a designer or architect.
Sidelight. (also: side-light, sidelite) A unopenable, usually tall and narrow, window or pane of glass next to a door or window panel that can open. Front doors, glass room doors, and display cases can all have sidelights.
Subject matter expert (SME). A person with extensive specialized knowledge, experience, and/or advanced degrees. Can be in any discipline, but in exhibitions, the term often refers specifically to content knowledge.
Square feet. (Also: sq. ft., sq ft, SF) Common unit of measure for area. It communicates how big a space is. One square foot (SF) is a square measuring one foot by one foot. A room measuring 20 feet x 10 feet would have a floor area of 200 SF.
T
Tombstone label. A minimal text label for an artifact showing only the most essential information, just like the concise content of an actual tombstone. For art, that might include artist, title, date and medium, but no context or interpretation. (Hat tip to reader E.R.)
Typeface. An entire designed system of styled alphanumeric characters. A typeface includes many fonts, which are the specific weights and sizes within it that you actually use. Helvetica is a typeface. (See also: font.)
V
Visible storage. A display method in which collection objects are stored in publicly visible, gallery-like spaces rather than in traditional back-of-house storage. These objects are usually densely arranged, typically with minimal interpretation.
Vitrine. [vuh-TREEN] A glass display case. Most people don't know this word, however, so you're better off not using it and saying "glass display case" instead.