Have you ever been frustrated by broken exhibits? Isn’t it embarrassing to have a sign on your exhibit saying “down for repair.” What if you have no budget to fix it? How do your visitors react to broken exhibits? How do your contributors feel when they see broken exhibits?

My team visited a nature center that had installed new exhibits just a year earlier. The site staff was quiet and hesitant when we noticed how many of the exhibits in their one year old gallery were not working. Many of them had been out of order for months. They could not get help from the exhibit firm that had produced them and they did not have the resources to quickly repair them. They were obviously embarrassed and frustrated.

During the initial phase of designing and building exhibits everyone is excited; creativity abounds and the future is bright. During this time you are swamped by your normal job as well as approving designs and content, and making exhibit decisions. Most won’t think about what life will look like a year after the exhibits are installed. You can’t imagine these brand new exhibits breaking, and there seems to be a belief that exhibits will not and should not break. We have experienced reactions of surprise and “this should not happen” when a future repair is needed.

In a world with unique one of a kind fabrications, and without the benefit of years of testing that goes into products like cars, things will break. Prototyping and testing is expensive during the design phase and many budgets do not have room. Often maintenance budgets for ongoing fixes are not included or possible either. Additionally, most exhibit companies are not compelled to fly across the country to help you fix something or even to offer a viable solution. Even when you hire a company with a one-year warranty, it can be time consuming and frustrating to get them to fix the exhibits. You also cannot fully predict the behavior of your visitors. We have seen parents lift their children over the glass of a diorama so they could touch the delicate objects. Often kids are allowed to run rampant in exhibit galleries. We have seen kids climb on top of water tables running up and down while the parents were merely feet away. Were these behaviors considered in your planning?

What can you do to eliminate this future frustration?

1. Accept that it is going to happen.

2. Create a plan including who and how repairs will be handled.

3. Make sure you have a budget and plan for ongoing maintenance.

4. Be careful what you ask for in the design phase. Everyone seems to want whiz bang, one of a kind interactives. Understand the risk.

5. Prototype and test these one of a kinds as much as possible during the design phase.

6. Where possible use tried and true exhibit fabrications.

7. Plan for a month of testing after installation before you open the exhibits to the public.

8. Have a list of resources you can call to fix specialty items.

9. Have clear policies that are aimed at managing visitor behavior and effective procedures in place to help staff enforce these policies.

10. Hire an exhibit firm that has a clear process on how they will fix your exhibits.

Designing and building exhibits only for durability is not a solution; it can be boring. Beauty will help engage your visitor’s emotions, this is key to understanding and embracing the content. The emotional side may be more important than the practical at times. Behavioral design is critical to your exhibit’s success. This means you may have to accept the risks and plan for it.

Have your exhibits broken down? What did you do about it? How did you feel?