Awe Plus Wonder

When we talk about creating “memorable experiences,” most of the heavy lifting is getting done by two different emotions working together: awe and wonder.

They are related, but they are not the same thing.

Awe:
Awe is the “WOW!” emotion of encountering something vast, rare, beautiful, ancient, or powerful. A dinosaur skeleton. A spacecraft. A monumental artwork. A huuuuuge immersive environment. Awe makes visitors stop.

Wonder:
Wonder is more mentally curious. It is the “OOH!” desire to understand more. How the **** does this work? Why is this here? What happens if I try this? Wonder makes visitors lean forward.

In exhibition-making, awe often comes from a display anchor: a large object, a dramatic space, or an emotionally powerful moment that immediately captures attention.

Wonder, on the other hand, can be sustained through our interpretation layer, diagrams, labels, media, and interactives that reward exploration.

When you combine them, you get what exhibitions do well: awe-inspiring, wonder-inducing experiences you can’t forget.

Here’s the thing:

Awe gets visitors emotionally open. Wonder keeps them mentally engaged. Combined, they generate some of our best experiences.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Display anchor. The primary exhibition element that attracts visitors' attention and makes them stop. It could be an artifact, image, interactive, media piece, scenic feature, or something else. Display anchors act as the centerpiece of a display or exhibit area.