All of us at the table at our planning sessions have one thing in common: we’re not our visitors. But sometimes we act like the project is … for us. “I know it’s an exhibit about ferns, but I just personally hate green. Can we see a grey option?” …

There is a counterintuitive audio engineering rule about how to make something louder. It might sound crazy. But it’s true. To dial something up — don’t dial it up. Dial everything else down. This rule is especially true in certain kinds of physical spaces …

If a project is over budget, who does the cutting? What should you do with expensive suggestions? Host Jonathan Alger talks “Black Belt Cost Control Tips.” Along the way: the beauty of modularity, poker wisdom, and ideas that will save you a lot of time and money.

MONIQUE: Remember that time a famous violinist played a Stradivarius in the subway, thousands passed by, and almost nobody stopped? PHIL: Yeah, it was an experiment for an article about context and public taste. MONIQUE: Right! But …

The audience hushes as the actor enters. She glides through shadows to a pool of light, and begins to speak. In a dark theater, an actor is irrelevant until they are lit. The starting condition is darkness. If the actor isn’t lit, the actor isn’t there. So much so, that …

A traveler comes across three stonecutters working in a field. Curious, he asks each what they are doing. The first mutters, “I am just doing my job.” The second scoffs and declares, “I am cutting perfect stones!” But the third smiles humbly and says …

This will be easy. Let’s ask around. Developer: “Programs” are the code we write for computers. Educator: No, “programs” are our tours and classes. Event Manager: What? “Programs” are what we hand out at our events.

What’s it really cost to build a museum? How can we find out if a project is feasible — before we even start? What are the most common ways museum projects get in financial trouble? Kris Collins joins Jonathan to discuss “A Museum is a Business”.

People who plan and design experiences know the jargon. People who don’t, don’t. And they have no interest in learning. Why should they? Do you recall the name of your prescription — or do you just want a painkiller when something hurts?

What is the Paradox of Exhibitions? Exhibitions display collection items that we otherwise preserve. Unless they are digital items, they have physical form. We take them out of their root cellars and pantries. We bring them into the light. We destroy them a little.

Sexy browsing is when an interactive experience is the equivalent of a book, diagram or filing cabinet, but done with appealing technology. You navigate educational image, text or video information. And your reward is more information. It’s good. But it’s not the only option.

An exhibition of rare books and manuscripts is a flock of beige butterflies. The books are antique paper, wings spread and perched in rows. But what is the most common color of fabric background we put these gentle beings upon?

How do you keep a huge project on track? What’s a contingency — and why is it the secret to success? Project manager Beth Van Why (Becker & Frondorf) joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to reveal the Secrets of Complex Cultural Project Management.

What’s awe? A blockbuster movie might be “awesome”. And we might be “in awe” of someone’s “awe-inspiring” talents. But what is it? An emotion. Awe is a hybrid of fear, veneration and wonder. And you see it a lot — in exhibitions. 

Because exhibitions are a curious mix of message and space, they sometimes generate curious ideas. One of the most curious: verbal clichés as design inspiration. Sure, there are “two sides to every story”. But maybe don’t build a big panel with stories on two sides?

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. When you barely know what you’re doing.

In art, the Latin term horror vacui (fear of empty space) refers to the urge to fill a visual composition, leaving no areas empty. Exhibition planners often grapple with horror vacui. In modern art exhibitions, less so, but with most other types, it’s common. But beware!

How can we plan better projects using the “attract, reveal, reward” system? What’s a “wunderkammer”? Professor, designer, and museum director Tim McNeil (UC Davis) joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to give us a sneak peek of his upcoming book.

SVEN: You guys coming to my session, “Objects Speak for Themselves”? PHIL: Yep! MONIQUE: [Gestures with coffee] Yep! PHIL: [Mutters] So untrue. MONIQUE: No, I’m really going. PHIL: I mean his title. It should be “Objects Can’t Speak for Themselves.”

When a stakeholder suggests expensive additions midway through a project, make it gently clear — on the spot — if you think it might be over budget. Don’t refuse. Just be clear. (This is a black belt cost control tip.)