Object Selection vs. Object Arrangement
When most people imagine creating a museum object case layout, they might think of somebody arranging artifacts until the composition looks good visually.
But visual arrangement isn't where experience design really starts.
Long before someone designs a display case or how things go in it, someone has to decide which artifacts belong together. And that decision shapes the story much more than the visual design does.
In exhibition case design, object selection, not arrangement, is the real first step.
The most common object selection strategy is simple: “group similar things.” You could group similar things from …
… the same historical event
… the same artist
… the same mineral family
… the same culture, or
… the same time period.
Then visitors compare similarities and differences visually for themselves, if they’re interested. This grouping-similar-things approach is a well-known way to show classification, evolution, style, or chronology. Especially when you have lots of stuff to exhibit.
But it’s not the only approach. And not the most interesting.
Here's the thing:
In exhibition case design, object selection, not arrangement, is the real first step.
In the next three articles, we'll explore three less-familiar ways of selecting objects. Each creates meaning in a completely different way.
Warmly,
Jonathan
- - - - - - - - - - - -
MtM Word of the Day:
Artifact, or artefact (UK). An object made by humans, with historical, cultural, or artistic merit. Museum artifacts can be artworks, clothing, tools, machinery, or religious items. Artifacts are primary source material evidence of past cultures, traditions, societies, and events.
