Historical Timeline Design Challenge

Someone might ask you to include a historical timeline in your next project. After all, they’re everywhere. Which is actually part of the problem.

If you do decide to make one, here are a few challenges you could try:

Don’t create an actual line representing time.

Don’t put it on a wall.

Don’t make it flat.

Don’t make a straight line, if you must have a line.

Don’t have each event point at a spot in time.

Don’t use parallel tracks to show your history relating to world history.

Don’t have each inch represent one fixed unit of time.

Don’t show the same type of information for each entry.

Don’t fill it halfway with text. Try making it with no text at all.

Why?

Because if you make a timeline with a real line, put it on a wall, keep it flat, have every event pointing to a spot, use parallel tracks, measure each inch as a unit of time, and show the same kind of information for every entry...

...you’ve just made the same timeline as everyone else.

With that in mind, here’s one last challenge idea:

Don’t make one at all.

After all, do they really pass the Mommy Mommy Test?

Here’s the thing:

If a timeline must be in your future (heh, see what I did there?), you can make it more interesting by trying some, or even all, of the challenges above.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Evaluation. The systematic assessment of an exhibition’s effectiveness relative to goals, audience, and outcome. Evaluation can be front-end, formative, remedial, or summative. It helps inform design decisions and improve visitor experience.