Developing exhibitions : There is a method to this madness / Dirk Houtgraaf, Massimo Negri.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Houtgraaf, Dirk, 1959- author.

Negri, Massimo, author.

Contributor:

European Museum Academy, publisher.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Museum exhibits.

Museum techniques.

Physical Description:

208 pages : illustrations (chiefly colour) ; 25 cm

Distribution:

Zwolle : Waanders.

Place of Publication:

Zwolle : European Museum Academy : Waanders, [2020]

Summary:

Dit boek beschrijft een methode in het ontwikkelen van tentoonstellingen. Het ontwikkelen van tentoonstellingen is dankbaar gekkenwerk, want gecompliceerd en stressvol. Het kost vaak kunst en vliegwerk om binnen de afgesproken tijd en budgetten te blijven. En het helpt niet als de teams van ontwikkelaars, ontwerpers en bouwers vaak wisselen in samenstelling. 'There is a method to this madness' biedt ondersteuning. Het is een handboek, een uitgewerkte en gedetailleerde methode voor het ontwikkelen van een tentoonstelling. Het levert een praktisch grondplan van werken en direct toepasbare werkvormen, óók voor kleinere projecten. De methode is een product van de European Museum Academy.

Contents:

1 There is a method in this madness p. 10

1.1 The scope of this publication and its audience p. 10

1.2 For whom p. 12

1.3 Sections in this book and reading priority p. 12

1.4 Visuals first p. 13

2 The methodology introduced p. 14

2.1 On the exhibition process methodology itself p. 14

2.2 Not one single truth p. 16

2.3 Expectations translated into a list of relevant parameters p. 16

2.4 Timeslots in a multi-year planning p. 17

2.5 Choosing the exhibition topics/themes p. 18

3 In the context of a functional plan p. 19

3.1 Museum functions p. 20

3.2 From a functional plan to an architectural plan p. 21

3.3 Feasibility study p. 22

3.4 The request of an estimate for the exhibition costs right at the start p. 23

4 Some more thoughts on networking the museum: the museum as a 'hub' p. 26

4.2 From 'a museum with a network' to 'a network with a museum' p. 26

Section 1 The overall workflow & start-up p. 29

5 Stages and ingredients p. 30

5.1 Five stages p. 30

5.2 Tooling: ten additional ingredients p. 30

5.3 Anything new? p. 31

6 An overview - including deliverables p. 33

6.1 The baseline p. 33

6.2 ... and some additional (sub)processes p. 35

7 Key to success: setting the table p. 37

7.1 Operational set-up p. 38

7.2 The DNA of the museum p. 40

7.3 Goals set p. 40

7.4 The conclusive starting note / initiative report p. 43

8 Building the network of tasks and timeline p. 45

8.1 The principles p. 45

8.2 Each (sub)task is defined by a result and thus a deliverable p. 48

8.3 Throughput time and slack p. 49

8.4 Stick to the decision p. 50

8.5 Come together: the project planning p. 52

8.6 The importance of a detailed Gantt chart p. 53

9 A detailed description of each phase p. 55

9.1 Concept phase p. 58

9.2 Storyline phase p. 58

9.3 Design phase p. 59

9.4 Production phase (and contracting) p. 60

9.6 Concept development for an entire museum p. 68

9.7 Selection of the display materials p. 67

9.8 Continuation of exhibition content development p. 70

9.9 Education programmes p. 73

9.10 Marketing, Communication and Fundraising p. 76

Section 2 Team, stakeholders and visitor studies p. 79

10 The exhibition development team p. 81

10.1 Exhibition team members and their roles p. 81

10.2 Shifting leads p. 87

10.3 Small museums p. 88

11 The stakeholders and decisionmakers p. 89

11.1 Milestones done formally, an often-neglected tool for stakeholders p. 89

11.2 Steering committee and advisory groups p. 92

11.3 Visitor advocacy p. 95

12 Visitor studies p. 97

12.1 Audience analysis p. 97

12.2 Concept testing (front-end study) p. 6

12.3 Testing potential titles p. 98

12.4 Storyline testing p. 99

12.5 Design and text testing (formative evaluation) p. 99

12.6 Summative evaluation p. 100

Section 3 Some process elements in more detail p. 103

13 Content development: the use of an analysis grid p. 105

13.1 From core idea to concept p. 106

13.2 The analysis grid: boxes in boxes p. 107

13.3 How to start? p. 111

13.4 Presenting and reporting the structure p. 112

13.5 From concept and analysis grid to global storyline p. 115

14 Storyline p. 116

14.1 An exhibition is a story and an experience in one p. 116

14.2 Principles of interpretation p. 118

14.3 Routing: unfreezing (transition), moving, refreezing p. 119

14.4 Building the global storyline, using your analysis grid p. 122

14.5 Do write a visitor journey p. 124

14.6 The detailed storyline p. 124

15 Sites and storylines p. 127

16 The use of an educational model p. 131

16.1 An educational model in the exhibition story telling p. 131

16.2 A methodology - and a book - on its own p. 133

16.3 In concordance with the exhibition development p. 133

17 Text writing, content development continued p. 135

17.2 Getting step by step to texts and other interpretive contextual information p. 136

17.3 A manual on some principles p. 140

17.4 Reflection on the earlier presented educational model p. 142

18 Design p. 144

18.1 Content and Space p. 144

18.2 Visual literacy and Wikipedia p. 146

18.3 A bouquet of approaches p. 147

18.4 Design phases p. 149

18.5 Design manuals to organize the consistency of the exhibition 'language' p. 150

18.6 Working with design companies p. 152

19 The digital world included p. 156

19.1 Additional In-Depth Information Using Audio Tours and Mobile Devices p. 157

19.2 Convert Your In-Depth Information to the Web p. 158

19.3 Screen Games, IT-Supported Interactives and Quizzes p. 158

19.4 A virtual Exhibition p. 159

19.5 Keep the Development in Control p. 160

20 A dedicated financial system p. 161

21 Components in the production process p. 164

21.1 Cost Management p. 164

21.2 Keeping track of objects, AV and to-do's is essential p. 165

21.3 Knowing the climatic conditions needed p. 166

21.4 Guarantees, service contracts, manuals - as part of the contracts p. 167

21.5 Archiving all p. 167

21.6 The organized production manager p. 168

22 Preventing delays and time pressures p. 169

22.1 Experts not delivering in time p. 169

22.2 Have dedicated intermediates - points of single contact p. 170

22.3 A list of objects is needed p. 170

22.4 Crumple zone: a plan B for 5% & 25% less (or more) p. 170

22.5 So Think Scenarios p. 171

Section 4 Plan ahead p. 173

23 An 'empty' multi-annual plan p. 175

23.1 Step 1: Establishing an empty scheme over the years to come p. 175

23.2 Step 2: Exhibitions and events: when to start, how long p. 176

23.3 Step 3: Personas as representatives of your (target) audiences? p. 178

23.4 Step 4: Blending it all into one scheme p. 180

24 Choosing the subject matter p. 181

24.1 Step 5: acquiring a range of options p. 181

24.2 Step 6: a baseline for every topic with a descriptive work title p. 183

24.3 Step 7: A schematic sketch p. 184

24.4 Step 8: Scoring options p. 186

24.5 Step 8 addendum: Present previous results as a warm-up p. 188

24.6 Step 9: The final choices in the multi-annual planning p. 189

Appendix The European Museum Academy p. 191

25 The European Museum Academy p. 192

25.1 The Academy p. 192

25.2 Some thoughts on networking the museum p. 192

25.3 The Awards and its ceremonies as platforms for exchanging ideas p. 194

25.4 Training programmes, projects and publications p. 196

26 Acknowledgements and authors p. 197

26.1 On this methodology and its history p. 197

27 Partners of EMA and supporters of this publication p. 200.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9789462623064

9462623066

OCLC:

1137195151