Comments on: Avoiding Fossilization http://naisections.org/IM/2009/12/avoiding-fossilization/ A virtual workshop for exhibit developers and people who work with interpretive media. Brought to you by the NAI Interpretive Media Section. Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:54:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Eugene Dillenburg http://naisections.org/IM/2009/12/avoiding-fossilization/#comment-676 Eugene Dillenburg Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:32:29 +0000 http://naisections.org/IM/?p=824#comment-676 The basic points -- focus on the message; use digital technology to augment the real experience, not supplant it -- are excellent and well worth repeating. But some of the specifics left me confused. "We can't dictate how, and how much, we will communicate to our visitors." Really? I thought that was precisely what we did. We decide what our message is; we decide how we present it. Now, it is true we cannot control how the visitor will receive / understand our message; what meaning they will make of it; or what they say about it to anybody else. But what we ourselves put out there? That is totally within our control. "The informal learning experience is a noble bait-and-switch." Whaaa? That I don't get at all. Bait-and-switch, as I understand the term, means to entice the customer by with one thing, but then in reality provide something else, usually of lesser value. How does the informal learning experience do that? What are we promising that we don't deliver (or, at least, don't make a good-faith effort to deliver)? "The digital world has changed what we consider the appropriate length of text within a given context." Not the way you explain it. Beverly Serrell, Judy Rand and Susan Curran were all advocating shorter labels at the Field Museum back in the late '80s, when exhibit text was still being pounded out on typewriters. (Yes, I have been in the business that long.) The less-is-more mantra was well entrenched long before computers made much of an inroad into our homes and private lives, let alone exhibits. If anything, the reverse is true: digital technology allows for *longer* labels. It is fairly simple to set up a digital system with a short-and-sweet 50-word label on the home page, and a "For More Info" button at the bottom for those visitors who may want an additional 500-word essay. Other than those points, though, good article. The basic points — focus on the message; use digital technology to augment the real experience, not supplant it — are excellent and well worth repeating. But some of the specifics left me confused.

“We can’t dictate how, and how much, we will communicate to our visitors.” Really? I thought that was precisely what we did. We decide what our message is; we decide how we present it. Now, it is true we cannot control how the visitor will receive / understand our message; what meaning they will make of it; or what they say about it to anybody else. But what we ourselves put out there? That is totally within our control.

“The informal learning experience is a noble bait-and-switch.” Whaaa? That I don’t get at all. Bait-and-switch, as I understand the term, means to entice the customer by with one thing, but then in reality provide something else, usually of lesser value. How does the informal learning experience do that? What are we promising that we don’t deliver (or, at least, don’t make a good-faith effort to deliver)?

“The digital world has changed what we consider the appropriate length of text within a given context.” Not the way you explain it. Beverly Serrell, Judy Rand and Susan Curran were all advocating shorter labels at the Field Museum back in the late ’80s, when exhibit text was still being pounded out on typewriters. (Yes, I have been in the business that long.) The less-is-more mantra was well entrenched long before computers made much of an inroad into our homes and private lives, let alone exhibits.

If anything, the reverse is true: digital technology allows for *longer* labels. It is fairly simple to set up a digital system with a short-and-sweet 50-word label on the home page, and a “For More Info” button at the bottom for those visitors who may want an additional 500-word essay.

Other than those points, though, good article.

]]> By: Jonathan Katz http://naisections.org/IM/2009/12/avoiding-fossilization/#comment-656 Jonathan Katz Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:04:56 +0000 http://naisections.org/IM/?p=824#comment-656 Very good use of straw-men, knocked down in the service of rhetoric. Each of the three Points are dated (incipient fossilization?) and miss the core issues. I would even suggest that the suggestions are misleading. i.e., in Point #1, Competing or Integration, Social networking is "scorned as destroying concentration". Not so- actually the findings are that "multi-tasking" leads to fragmented attention and erroneous perception, regardless of age or technology. Not the same thing. One can parse each point with similar results. David Kennedy's comment touched on what really counts these days in Museums: the "voice of reason" & "credentials". Perhaps if people in museums were more cognizant of their audiences and of questions of productivity, they could use or not use technology as they evolve. Very good use of straw-men, knocked down in the service of rhetoric. Each of the three Points are dated (incipient fossilization?) and miss the core issues. I would even suggest that the suggestions are misleading. i.e., in Point #1, Competing or Integration, Social networking is “scorned as destroying concentration”. Not so- actually the findings are that “multi-tasking” leads to fragmented attention and erroneous perception, regardless of age or technology. Not the same thing. One can parse each point with similar results.
David Kennedy’s comment touched on what really counts these days in Museums: the “voice of reason” & “credentials”. Perhaps if people in museums were more cognizant of their audiences and of questions of productivity, they could use or not use technology as they evolve.

]]> By: Pat Bradley http://naisections.org/IM/2009/12/avoiding-fossilization/#comment-652 Pat Bradley Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:10:25 +0000 http://naisections.org/IM/?p=824#comment-652 I think society's evil still point to Elvis's scandalous hips. Very nice Matt. I think society’s evil still point to Elvis’s scandalous hips.

Very nice Matt.

]]> By: David Kennedy http://naisections.org/IM/2009/12/avoiding-fossilization/#comment-651 David Kennedy Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:49:58 +0000 http://naisections.org/IM/?p=824#comment-651 The voice of reason at last speaks with the credentials that some in the field may listen to. I support evolution over extinction any day of the week and also like staying relevant to my times. The directors, educators and curators that are intimidated or threatened by this contemporary reality need to learn to adapt or they will perish. Besides all that it’s fun. The voice of reason at last speaks with the credentials that some in the field may listen to. I support evolution over extinction any day of the week and also like staying relevant to my times. The directors, educators and curators that are intimidated or threatened by this contemporary reality need to learn to adapt or they will perish. Besides all that it’s fun.

]]> By: Chris Brabander http://naisections.org/IM/2009/12/avoiding-fossilization/#comment-650 Chris Brabander Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:01:53 +0000 http://naisections.org/IM/?p=824#comment-650 Interesting and timely article. Our present administration is fearful of this type of technology in exhibits . . . but it's OK when marketing events and store sales. Go figure. Interesting and timely article. Our present administration is fearful of this type of technology in exhibits . . . but it’s OK when marketing events and store sales. Go figure.

]]> By: John Llewellyn http://naisections.org/IM/2009/12/avoiding-fossilization/#comment-648 John Llewellyn Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:46:21 +0000 http://naisections.org/IM/?p=824#comment-648 Matt, Nice breakdown of the factors governing museums' use of new technologies for interpretation. Part of good design / communication is the ability to get a key message across, by empathizing with the audience. Keeping "empathy" in mind can help us avoid the pitfalls of "too much text" vs. "too much technology for its own sake." It's also important to keep pushing out of the comfort zone! Thanks. Matt,
Nice breakdown of the factors governing museums’ use of new technologies for interpretation. Part of good design / communication is the ability to get a key message across, by empathizing with the audience. Keeping “empathy” in mind can help us avoid the pitfalls of “too much text” vs. “too much technology for its own sake.”
It’s also important to keep pushing out of the comfort zone!
Thanks.

]]> By: Maria Mortati http://naisections.org/IM/2009/12/avoiding-fossilization/#comment-647 Maria Mortati Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:45:21 +0000 http://naisections.org/IM/?p=824#comment-647 Excellent call to arms. Excellent call to arms.

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