Priceless objects studied by scholars — Neanderthal skulls, Rosetta Stone, Taylor Swift’s engagement ring — often can’t travel. So sometimes we make scientific-grade facsimiles for borrowing. A copy done this way could cost thousands or more. …

Should our target exhibition audience be people that agree with our position? Or that don’t? The answer will seem counterintuitive. Exhibition audiences work the same way PR audiences work. First break your audience into five groups. …

Walt Disney had a novel vision for the very first theme park. He needed new experiences that would market themselves to visitors. Touring his future property, his beloved dog was a reluctant companion. And that dog gave Walt an idea. …

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? [Sips matcha disinterestedly.] …

Museums always want new ways to generate room rental revenue. Of course, there are the classics, like the Charismatic Lobby: Get married under a brontosaurus. Medium capacity for guests (due to giant fossil). But there is another approach …

When we say “accessible,” do we mean that we are easy to get to? (Location) That we are affordable? (Price) That we have no physical barriers to visitors with different abilities? (Facilities) Now, at this point, we’re all cleverly answering, “Yes!” …

Strolling through an exhibition recently (not designed by us, of course), I noticed … an error magnet.  Argh! My nemesis. What’s an error magnet? A minor creative idea likely to cause a major production error. A pointless little detail. …

I was once given a tour of a new exhibition by the curator. Among hundreds of objects was a large item, very damaged. It was behind all the others, nearly out of sight. When I learned what it was, it was the damage that made it interesting. …

Every exhibition needs a credit panel. They cost almost nothing. Every additional name costs nothing. But the lasting goodwill can’t be bought. Nearly zero cost, potentially priceless outcome. How’s that for a return on your investment? …

We want our spaces to be dynamic. Flexible. Adaptable. Changing.  Always current. Sounds … so right. Is it? How adaptable should our projects be? Do we pay for changeability we don’t need? What’s the hidden cost of unused flexibility? …

Every movie has a music soundtrack, or “score.” And every video game. And every Broadway show. And every streaming series, dance performance, cooking show, and circus. And grocery stores, spas, dive bars, and ski lift lines. Why? …

The pandemic struck. Museum visitation plummeted to zero. After the initial shock, we rallied and pivoted to digital. Livestreams. Virtual exhibitions. Online collections. Cloud databases. But now the bill is due. That bill is called technology debt. …

You just can’t lose with these intricate, moving, nostalgic, multigenerational, hypnotizing, wholesome, beloved, irresistible, selfie-bait, upcharge-ticket-selling, donation-enhancing attractions. …

They’re eating the museum! Meaning, museum cafés are becoming curatorial. I’m not saying cardboard pizza is out. Those chicken finger lobbyists are [dramatic melody] unstoppable. But something else is on the way in: café menus that read like part of the exhibition. …

And now, I will make one of the great debates … vanish! Bwahaha! Yeah. I’m just being dramatic. Because, regardless of what they say, it’s not a debate. It’s just a decision. Centralize all the players, or distribute them? Here’s how to decide. …

Time to address the elephant in the room. Ah, right. “There are 47 of them, which do you mean?” Fair. Today, this one: Are we all doing experience design now, or exhibition design still? And my answer is, “Both. All along.” Here’s why. …

(I can feel the unsubscribes coming. But this is important.) Should a project be led by an SME — the subject matter expert, like a curator, historian or scientist — or by a PM or developer? There isn’t a single answer, but there are … guideposts. ..

For a while I imagined it was some regional feud, like that east-west hip hop thing in the 90’s. But it turns out to be another one of those trick questions. When to use each? It depends. Let’s put the imaginary feud aside and give each its due. …

For any member of the exhibition tribe, overlooking what loan agreements mean could easily spell failure. There is a lot to learn — and there’s an MtM podcast episode with more — but three key loan requirements are humidity, temperature, and security. …

MONIQUE: My client wants to add more facts to the exhibition we’re developing. PHIL: Mm-hm. Facts are good. [Cautiously sips matcha] MONIQUE: No they’re not. PHIL: [Raises eyebrows] MONIQUE: People don’t come to exhibitions for facts. …