tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post7007170119289279589..comments2024-03-27T05:04:39.476-07:00Comments on Museum 2.0: Community Exhibit Development: Lessons Learned from The Tech VirtualNina Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723930679606298550noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-32131131241101949832009-05-13T14:45:00.000-07:002009-05-13T14:45:00.000-07:00Hi Emma,
Yes, we did have some collaborative re-d...Hi Emma,<br /><br />Yes, we did have some collaborative re-design, and for some people the experience was really positive and useful. There was at least one person who left angry that people had "changed her idea" and the teens we worked with in particular felt very proprietary about their work. The prize/contest component didn't help, either.<br /><br />In my experience, (professional) exhibit design teams are often incredibly collaborative and relaxed about changing each other's designs. When working with amateurs, there has to be a complete trust and level playing field before participants don't feel like you are strong-arming them into change that you, the "expert," recommend.Nina Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11723930679606298550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-233812571551433112009-05-13T02:14:00.000-07:002009-05-13T02:14:00.000-07:00I think this is a really great step forward in cha...I think this is a really great step forward in changing the way we think about, and practice, exhibition design - well done to Nina and the Tech, and thanks for sharing. <br /><br />I've a question about the collaborative nature of the initiative: in the manner of 'crowdsourcing', did the programme allow for exhibit designers to modify the designs of others? If not, might this be considered for the future and how might exhibit designers feel about this? The key that seems to make open-source software development work is the ability for developers to take the 'best' parts of another designer's work and improve upon it. Could the same model work with exhibit design?Emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12492822208138449793noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-41047287887932005922008-06-16T13:55:00.000-07:002008-06-16T13:55:00.000-07:00First of all, congratulations to the newbie exhibi...First of all, congratulations to the newbie exhibit developers, and congratulations to the Tech (and you, Nina) for taking this all the way. Great job!!<BR/><BR/>It was interesting to see this exhibit after having just completed a<A HREF="http://flickr.com/photos/mortati/sets/72157604418680120/" REL="nofollow"><BR/>small exhibit </A> for a nonprofit called <A HREF="http://www.ruckusnation.com/" REL="nofollow">Ruckus Nation</A>. <BR/><BR/>This was an international competition where the nonprofit <A HREF="http://www.hopelab.org/" REL="nofollow">(HopeLab)</A> sought product ideas from the public to "get kids moving", i.e., fight obesity. The challenge they have now is figuring out how to take those ideas and turn them into real products (which they are doing with the help of a product design firm). The idea that won the competition may not, in the long run, be the best idea for a product, as it turns out.<BR/><BR/>As an exhibit developer, I'm constantly pushing and being pushed to develop exhibits + programs which will involve the public in a "2.0" manner. The process for developing exhibits themselves is a collaborative and distributed effort in my world. For me the takeaway from this exhibit was not that the public at large will always have better ideas than I do (some would disagree with that, I'm sure). <BR/><BR/>It was the fun both the institution and the public had in creating <I>new</I> ways to engage with the public. I think this commitment to public engagement through any tool - online or in person, is what makes a cultural institution vibrant and alive, and the best thing the Tech could do as it embarks on it's reinvention.Maria Mortatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10675337532545580232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-54678989679025227222008-06-12T16:09:00.000-07:002008-06-12T16:09:00.000-07:00I was one of the exhibit design amateurs who was l...I was one of the exhibit design amateurs who was lucky enough to stumble on The Tech Virtual Test Zone and ultimately have my idea move from the The Tech Virtual in Second Life to The Tech in real life.<BR/><BR/>Here's an amateur (first time) exhibit designer's view of Nina's top ten lessons:<BR/><BR/> <B>1. Give away the fun (and easy) part:</B> You museum professionals only make it <B><I>look</I></B> easy. It's not. It <B><I>is</I></B> great fun! But for those of us who've never thought about creating a museum exhibit, issues such as survivability on the museum floor and the problem of catching and holding the attention of a passing fifth grader in three seconds flat can be baffling.<BR/> <BR/><B>2. Level the playing field or tip it in their favor:</B> I think Nina's comments are squarely on the mark. Second Life is an abstract enough environment that the somewhat intimidating prospect of attempting to collaborate with an institution such as The Tech was made to appear possible. <I>"After all, it's not real! It's just a cartoon on my computer screen and I could always just turn it off."</I> (Not really... but I told myself that more than once). <BR/><BR/><B>3. Contests are good for raising awareness and focusing behavior, but not good for building sustainable communities or work in a flexible environment: </B> Again, I think Nina correct. I certainly was more motivated by the prospect of seeing my project on the museum floor than by the prize money. (Although that didn't stop me from cashing the check). But then, I live near The Tech, and the prospect of achieving Super Hero status with my nieces and nephews who visit The Tech with their school classes was a powerful incentive that would not have motivated entrants from Canada, the UK and Australia. <BR/><BR/><B>4. Trust is essential, especially in a changing environment:</B> True, but I think we would have welcomed a slightly heavier authority influence on the part of The Tech. As an amateur I was often bewildered as to what the requirements were, and it was only boundless encouragement from Avi (Nina's Second Life avatar) that prevented me from giving up more than once.<BR/><BR/><BR/><B>5. It's important to have a way for folks to build their exhibit ideas:</B> Spot on! I built and threw away a half dozen exhibit ideas. Second Life let me try things quickly and easily. The ability to quickly have a virtual prototype almost working and then have an informal discussion with others about what needs to change is a much more productive development environment than trying to describe a concept in text.<BR/><BR/><B>6. Second Life was a better community space for The Tech Virtual than the Web.</B> That's true, and I think it's because in Second Life people wander by your workspace. Having a stranger walk up and ask "what are you doing" and then seeing how they interact with your prototype is invaluable. When people wander to your page on a wiki you often never know it. In Second Life they're standing there.<BR/><BR/><B>7. It's more important to have social instigators lead your community than authoritative professionals:</B> I'm not sure this would be true if the project parameters were more tightly defined. But for the newbie exhibit designer wandering aimlessly in the virtual exhibit design world it was certainly great to have someone hanging around The Tech Virtual workspace at all hours of the day or night.<BR/><BR/><B>8. The community provided great exhibit inspiration but their projects required heavy translation to become real exhibits:</B> This is true to an astounding degree! The virtual exhibit I built could not exist in the real world. This nearly caused me to abandon the effort. The bigger surprise is that the real world exhibit cannot be fully recreated in the virtual world, due to limitations in the Second Life scripting language.<BR/><BR/><B>9. There are many ways for creative amateurs to be involved in exhibit development:</B> It was an unexpected delight that Nina and the exhibit design staff at The Tech allowed me to be involved in the creation of the real world exhibit. From getting the first rough prototype working right through the final adjustments an hour or two before the opening reception, they were surprisingly willing to let an amateur participate in the process. <BR/><BR/><B>10. There is nothing like the feeling of sharing and giving to others:</B> Amen! Simply put, this was an unforgettable experience. Thank you Nina!<BR/><BR/>You can learn more about the exhibit Nina and her team let me help create on the <A HREF="http://StudioSanJose.com/Reprojecting" REL="nofollow">Studio San Jose</A> web site.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-76452985934953435552008-06-12T05:17:00.000-07:002008-06-12T05:17:00.000-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-57433115165376919362008-06-06T11:17:00.000-07:002008-06-06T11:17:00.000-07:00There is a typo in the link The Tech Virtual Test ...There is a typo in the link <I>The Tech Virtual Test Zone</I>. The last part of the path should be "testzone" instead of "zestzone". <A HREF="http://www.thetech.org/testzone/" REL="nofollow">Here is the correct page</A>.Paolo Amorosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03789843965489611451noreply@blogger.com