When is the earliest time you should estimate costs for your exhibition or experience project? A. As soon as you have approved technical drawings. B. As soon as you have a concept design package. C. As soon as humanly possible. The answer is …

What if we're doing community engagement … wrong? Nu Goteh (Founder and Principal of ROOM FOR MAGIC) joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Community Engagement Misconceptions.” …

I have been looking in all the usual places for credible data to back up a gut feeling we probably all share: Reading is on the decline. Because if it is, it’s time to rethink text in exhibitions. Data-wise, I haven’t found a smoking gun. That’s where you come in. …

For any audio-visual program, we must also offer that audio content in visual form.  And we all know closed captioning. But “open captioning” is the exhibition standard. That’s CC that’s permanent, aka “burned in,” and can’t be turned off. …

For those who hear, but not well, legally we must assist them to hear our audio better. In exhibition theaters, one approach is “assistive listening” systems. This is required anywhere visitors gather to experience content over time. …

Imagine an exhibition many of your visitors will never understand, because the main takeaways are audio-visual — and they can’t hear. Hearing loss in young people is actually on the rise (thanks, earbuds). And a third of people over 65 can’t hear well. …

Oxford economist Bent Flyvbjerg is an expert on failure. Research for his book included “16,000 skyscrapers, airports, museums, concert halls, nuclear reactors, and hydroelectric dams across 136 countries.” That’s right — museums. …

One of the most common mistakes we make involves pupils. Not students. The other kind. We all love spaces with light walls. White, or off-white. Light walls brighten a room, reduce artificial lighting, feel safer, seem modern. Sure. But. …

What if we combined immersion, emotion, storytelling — and games? Ed Rodley (Co-Founder and Principal, The Experience Alchemists), joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Playful Engagement.” …

Q: Light text on a dark background? Designer gimmick! Museum labels with dark text on a light background are always better! Just look at books! And newspapers! A: Yes, dark text on light is the standard for print media. But museum labels aren’t books. …

Sometimes it seems like the world wants us to make vanilla exhibitions. But … you know what the funny thing is? As soon as we give in, and let things be unoriginal, overstuffed, long-winded, tech for tech’s sake, generic, whatever — guess what happens? …

Got a recent exhibition or experience project that might have a shot at winning an award? If you do — or if you just want to see some great design work — check out the Global Design Awards held by SEGD, the Society for Experiential Graphic Design. …

What’s the “contingency first” trick? It’s an easy way to help projects come in on budget. One of the first things we do in my company when we start a new project is ask: “Is there a contingency already set aside?” And if not …

Can a statue change history? And exactly what is a “forensic sculpture” in a museum? Sculptor Ivan Schwartz (Founder and Director of StudioEIS), joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Sculpting History.”

What is cost control in a cultural project? Cost control is about controlling costs, up or down, in order to achieve your goal. That’s what it is. Here’s what it isn’t: Cost control isn’t … trying to make all the elements in a project equally inexpensive. And it isn’t …

Here are five classic rookie moves. (We’ve all been there. No judging.) 1. Overcrowding Displays: Trying to cram in too many artifacts, images, or text. 2. Missing Narrative Flow: Exhibitions without a clear story can be disjointed and confusing. …

Q: Digital can make anything! VR can take visitors inside ancient temples! Why do we even need real objects anymore? A: Digital is powerful, but it can't replicate the authenticity of a real artifact. They physically connect us to people and moments in the past. …

Q: Museum exhibitions are outdated! People can learn anything online for free! Why should we invest in exhibitions? A: Online’s great. But it can’t replicate the unique presence of a real artifact or artwork. It’s an experience you can’t get online. Ever. …

Are exhibitions an “industry?” Or a “discipline?” Hm. Maybe a “field?” Wait, how about a “profession?” This is a head-scratcher I’ve heard many times, and again just recently (a pattern that frequently triggers MtM articles). Let’s take a look. …

A solitary bench sits in front of a painting. Those few words already suggest the setting must be a museum. But that iconic, solitary bench has detractors. Some understandably say we need far more seating. Some call them an accessibility problem …