Creating a Museum Exhibit

Thursday, February 27, 2014 9:50 PM by Taylor Studios in Design and Planning


How to create a museum exhibit using a 12-step program

So, you’re ready to create a new exhibit for your site. Congratulations! That realization is probably both exciting and daunting! There is a lot that goes into the planning, design, and implementation of an interpretive exhibit. Below, I list 12 steps to follow when creating a new museum exhibit. This guide will keep you on track as you move through the planning through celebration phases.

12 Steps to Creating a Museum Exhibit

  1. Assess your resources – is there enough to create a museum exhibit?

  2. Select the location for the museum exhibit.

  3. Determine your budget. Plan your budget in advance.

  4. Begin to plan the exhibit by developing the interpretation. This includes the central theme, subthemes, storylines, and content.  Think about what your visitors may find interesting about your story.

  5. Develop an exhibit design for the interpretation.  Consider visitor flow, visitor age range, learning modes, materials selection, use of artifacts, and graphics.

  6. Assess the budget – does your design work within your set budget? Or do you need to cut back?

  7. Determine which aspects you will handle in-house and for which aspects you’ll need outside help.

  8. Solicit bids from vendors and contractors for outside help. (Need help crafting a RFP? Check out Paul Orselli’s post on Proposal Etiquette.)

  9. Build the museum exhibits. Work with your contractors to ensure they meet your vision. You should have opportunities to review their work along the way.

  10. Prepare the exhibit space.  Lay carpet or flooring and electrical, if needed.  Recycle or dispose of old exhibits, if necessary.

  11. Install and test the exhibits.  Address any AV glitches that may occur with the set-up of your exhibit.

  12. Throw a grand opening and celebrate.

Planning Considerations

While following the steps in the planning and design process mentioned above, you want each phase to go smoothly to get the best end result. Here are some considerations that may help you create a museum exhibit:

If you’ve been through the exhibit design-build process before, what did you learn that could help others? If you haven’t created a museum exhibit before, what questions do you have?

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