Most museum display cases invite visitors to compare similar things. Occasionally, though, you’ll encounter two objects in a case that don’t appear to be similar at all, but it’s no accident they are together. …

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. …

What could museums learn right now — from their competitors? Renée Hampton (Electrosonic) discusses “What Museums Can Learn from Casinos, Theme Parks, Sports, and More” with MtM host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners). …

(See what I did there?) Yes. Most panel titles are just naming the subject, like a Wikipedia article: “Early Railroads.” “Civil War Medicine.” “Ancient Trade Routes.” Those titles are clear, sure, but they mostly just sit there. …

Visitors do not only look at what we give them to look at. If only. Case in point: the visible exit problem. All of us humans automatically, subconsciously, and constantly scan for obvious ways out from the spaces we are in. …

If something moves, it becomes important — whether we planned it or not. Why? Because we are built that way. We evolved to detect saber-toothed tigers in the bushes by peripheral motion, flashing light, and sudden sounds. In exhibitions, that means …

How can exhibitions create positive change in the world? Femke Bijlsma (Partner, Kossmanndejong) discusses “Make Space for Change (The New Book)” with MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners). …

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 is WOW. Wonder is OOH. …

If you are reading this, you are very likely involved in exhibition making. So today … here’s to you. What job lets you turn knowledge, objects, space, emotion, and visitor behavior into one physical experience?

One of the fastest ways to make an exhibition feel more expensive is simple: Make all the white lights the same color temperature. Many exhibition spaces accidentally mix lighting color temperatures. Bleh. …

Wondering what kind of interactive to make for your new exhibition? Well, you kinda can't go wrong with a quiz. It's not because they're easy to make. A good quiz takes work. It's because quizzes secretly communicate something …

Political leaders have argued that museums should emphasize national pride rather than difficult history. Yes, museums should not overwhelm visitors. But there is a difference between handling history carefully and removing it entirely. …

Some difficult history exhibitions overwhelm visitors. Others are so restrained that visitors feel almost nothing. How do we navigate these two extremes? Here’s one way: the Inzovu Curve, developed during genocide memorial work in Rwanda. …

Many of us make exhibitions on subjects that are emotionally and politically difficult. (Some of us do nothing but.) War. Slavery. Genocide. Colonialism. Refugees. Terrorism. Injustice. In museum-speak, this is difficult history. …

“Want to get married under a giant extinct lizard skeleton?” ”I thought you’d never ask.” Exhibition halls and rotundas can make excellent event spaces. We need rentals. Without them, our financial health has one less thing to rely on. …

It’s one of the most famous museum feelings of them all. You enter a museum with good intentions. An hour later, your feet hurt, your legs feel heavy, and your lower back is aching. Museum legs: the physical outcome of slowly shuffling and standing for hours. …

Exhibits are like Dr. Seuss machines.
They change minds. And do you know what that means?
Our visitors – isn’t it sad, they don’t know
The facts about forks that we all love so.

The name of this newsletter aside, many museum-style exhibitions happen in places that … aren’t museums. Regardless, all of the strategies we talk about here apply also to a whole list of other kinds of places. …

Exhibitions have a constant tension. Are we giving information? Or creating engagement? Of course, the answer is, “Both! Duh.” But let’s dive into that, because “both” isn’t a thorough answer either. Imagine an Information/Engagement Spectrum. …

“Double-loaded gallery” is a term we use in the studio. It’s when exhibits or displays are placed equally on both sides of a long gallery or hallway. (We stole it from architecture, where “double-loaded corridor” means doors constantly on both sides.) …