Textbooks for Exhibition Designers
What books could you study to learn exhibition design?
There isn’t just one textbook for the field. Many show up in courses and offices. And because technology, culture, and practice continue to change, new editions and new books are always of interest.
Here’s my attempt at a canon of six key textbooks that are...
... from the past 15 years,
... available in print now,
... listed in chronological order by edition,
... with Amazon links (had to go with something),
... and MtM podcast links where applicable.
BTW, these are general textbooks. Specialized manuals for things like graphic design or label writing don’t appear here. More on those later.
Creating Exhibitions: Collaboration in the Planning, Development, and Design of Innovative Experiences
Polly McKenna-Cress and Janet Kamien (2013)
A widely taught book about exhibition development and team process.
Museum Exhibition Planning and Design
Elizabeth Bogle (2013)
Focuses on planning, scheduling, budgeting, and managing exhibition projects.
Exhibition Design, Second Edition
Philip Hughes (2015)
Focuses on spatial design, lighting, graphics, and physical exhibition design.
Manual of Museum Exhibitions, Third Edition
Maria Piacente (2022)
A large reference manual covering nearly every aspect of exhibition production.
The Handbook of Exhibition and Experience Design
Timothy J. McNeil (2023)
Expands exhibition design into experience design and spatial storytelling.
> Hear the Making the Museum podcast about the book.
A Collaborative Approach to Exhibition Making
Emily Saich and Joey Noelle Scott (2025)
A recent practical guide focused on collaborative exhibition teams and process.
> Hear the Making the Museum podcast about the book.
Here’s the thing:
The field changes quickly, but many principles remain the same. Any of these books from the past 15 years would be worth adding to your collection.
Warmly,
Jonathan
P.S. Do you think I missed one? Hit REPLY and LMK.
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MtM Word of the Day:
Post-mortem. A structured review conducted after an exhibition opens or closes to evaluate what worked, what did not, and why. The team reviews budget, schedule, design, visitor response, and operations to improve future projects.
