This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of ASTC’s Dimensions magazine

ON PRODUCING EXHIBITS IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY

There is a widespread movement in many developing countries in the last decade to promote scientific knowledge among the general public through science centers and museums. Interactive exhibits require special characteristics in developing countries. Because resources are very limited, exhibits should be produced at the lowest costs, with maximum durability to avoid high rates of exhibits depreciation. Strict safety precautions must be applied, as children in developing countries are not used to science centers and may use exhibits in unexpected ways.

The Planetarium Science Center, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt, represents an example of a science center that has a good level of exhibit design and fabrication skills and has overcome tight financial resources. Over the past 10 years, our main concern has been to build a qualified team in the field of design and fabrication of interactive exhibits. This team is aware of community concerns, interests, formal science curricula, and the needed pedagogical approach to maximize the visitors’ benefit from the exhibits and accompanying activities. To acquire hands-on exhibit design and fabrication production skills and experience, several training sessions were held in collaboration with international professional corporations.

Doing the design and fabrication processes in house using local materials may be 10% of the cost of buying the end product directly. Also, we seek partners to co-design and fabricate exhibitions rather than renting high-cost exhibitions. Our exhibition quality is getting closer to international standards through experience and avoiding repeating errors.

Reem Sabry, head of the Design and Fabrication Section, Planetarium Science Center, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt

This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of ASTC’s Dimensions magazine

ON PLANNING TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS

When designing an exhibition, it’s wise to take into consideration from day one whether or not it will be traveling, particularly internationally. Making sure an exhibition can be installed and dismantled easily, allowing flexibility for low doors and ceilings, keeping the number of trucks or shipping containers low, knowing the type of electricity technological components will require, and being mindful of the manpower and maintenance the exhibition needs are all paramount to its long-term success on the road. Additionally, once an exhibition is on the road, working with global partners to create strategic tour routes in particular regions can benefit everyone by saving money as well as wear and tear. An exhibition designed with these things in mind from the beginning stands a far better chance of being enjoyed all around the globe for many years!

Tom Zaller, president and CEO, Imagine Exhibitions, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia

This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of ASTC’s Dimensions magazine

ON DESIGNING INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

When you design an exhibit for young children, you should not limit yourself to just downsizing all the components and adding a wild palette of colors. You have to start thinking like a child. It may not be possible to go back in time, but this simple set of rules will help you develop your ideas:

• Rule #1: “The floor is everywhere my foot can reach.”
  • An adult mind has a mental barrier that prevents one from walking on a surface located higher than a foot and a half (half a meter) above the ground. Adults will see this surface as either a seat or a decoration. Toddlers, however, do not possess this kind of constraint. Use as much durable and anti-skidding materials as possible, and watch the height.
• Rule #2: It is never too low.
  • For adults, everything has to be within reach, and bending and crouching is tiring for us. It is totally the opposite with kids. For them, standing on tiptoes, lying on the floor, or reaching for something inaccessible is simply a lot of fun. Sometimes designers need to leave the rules behind to make an exhibit more enjoyable for children.
• Rule #3: Kids are omnidirectional.
  • An adult focuses on a single experience, while a child participates in the entire environment with all senses. While playing in one place, the child constantly listens to sounds coming from all around and can analyze multiple strands of information. This gives us the opportunity to create complex spaces.

Karolina Perrin, designer, Karek Design, Krakow, Poland

This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of ASTC’s Dimensions magazine

ON PARTNERING WITH RESEARCHERS

Increasingly, as many science centers move from presenting just basic science to including more topical and contemporary science, one challenge faced by many centers is in the research and development of exhibition content. Interesting and contemporary topics like nanotechnology, climate change, viruses, and even the Large Hadron Collider can engage the public but require some explaining.

The Science Centre Singapore has found that working with suitable partners can be a tremendous help in the development of a good exhibition. The partners in question are research scientists from universities as well as research institutions. For example, in our Earth, Our Untamed Planet exhibition, we collaborated with the Earth Observatory Singapore and were able to tap the expertise of some of the world’s leading Earth scientists to develop an exhibition that brought the topic to life while presenting some of the latest thinking in the field, as well as many local and regional examples. This has resulted in an exhibition that not only engages the public, but also is a valuable resource to science and even geography teachers.

The key to effective collaboration is to find a partner that shares similar objectives related to the promotion of science. Very often, many research institutions have a mandatory public outreach component tied to their research funding. When they collaborate with a local science center, research institutions benefit by fulfilling their public outreach missions and leaving the development of public programs to the expertise of the science center. Science centers benefit by tapping the expertise of research scientists at the leading edge of that field of study.

In order to maintain such collaborations, we actively visit and maintain ongoing relationships with all the universities and many research institutions in the country. Such visits, discussions, and sharing of ideas often result in new exhibition ideas and opportunities for funding.

Jyotika Thukral, senior communications officer, Science Centre Singapore

This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of ASTC’s Dimensions magazine

ON THE PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING AN IN-HOUSE EXHIBITION

Science World British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, created a new music exhibition, AMPED, in house and with unprecedented support from the local community. With so many parameters to explore, the challenge was to develop a cohesive focus that maximized the visitor experience without creating prohibitive costs.

We hope the guidelines below will help you develop your own amazing in-house exhibition.

• Once your executive team approves the project concept, develop a creative brief that outlines your broad objectives, budget, schedule, and success criteria.
• Research exhibit content relevant to your target audience. For AMPED, we consulted the local music community, reviewed academic literature, and researched music-related equipment.
• Your research should yield a variety of stories that could be presented to the public. Select the best stories that would make unique, engaging, and easy to use, yet feasible, interactive experiences. For AMPED, the theme became the story of technology and popular music.
• Place those stories in a storyline, explaining the content/experience and the best way to convey each story (e.g. interaction, infographic, programming, web link, tablet app, etc.) AMPED required large infographics to relay complex content.
• Create an Exhibit Concept Document for each interactive experience, detailing content, objectives, visitor experience, possible equipment, and possible pitfalls. We saw loopers as a key experience in the AMPED exhibition and dedicated a considerable amount of time developing a quick way for visitors to learn how to create music loops.
• You are now ready to create your prototype and evaluate the experience with test groups. We set up AMPED exhibits near our main entrance and encouraged the public to try out the equipment. We found this feedback to be extremely useful.

Creating your own exhibition in house can be quite overwhelming, but it can also be very rewarding. Don’t be too quick to pick up your hammer or paintbrush. Careful development and planning can ultimately save you time (during the crunch), resources, and frustration.

Jason Bosher, communications coordinator, Science World British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada