tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post8026515236380584207..comments2024-03-27T05:04:39.476-07:00Comments on Museum 2.0: Treasure Hunts, Tactile Domes, and Other Layered BeingsNina Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723930679606298550noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-55163259854389557732007-08-07T15:45:00.000-07:002007-08-07T15:45:00.000-07:00More reasons floor staff are so important to the m...More reasons floor staff are so important to the meaningful visitor experience! <BR/><BR/>You bring up an interesting point, that maybe having a deeper interaction with one exhibit will compel visitors to have deeper interactions with other ones. I think that message could be more consciously expressed to visitors ("Hey, there's something magical in this one too if you poke around a bit"). Then again, personal taste might dictate which exhibits you are willing to stick it out with. The important thing is that the layers be non-compulsory, that is, that they aren't levels you have to progress through to enjoy the experience. Maybe there could be an exhibition that includes fewer exhibits, but all have an intro layer as well as deeper layers. Then, you could find the exhibits you REALLY want to spend time with and dive deep, instead of struggling to "unlock" every single exhibit.<BR/><BR/>I had a great visit to the Exploratorium... and particularly enjoyed the "Staff picks" sign featuring you. I wish there were lots more of those on the floor. The only negative surprise was the folks in front of us in line, who chose not to visit because they peeked inside and determined that it was a "kid place." How can we create interactive play places where adults feel welcome?Nina Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11723930679606298550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37032121.post-31142536479642061742007-08-06T22:42:00.000-07:002007-08-06T22:42:00.000-07:00Hi Nina! Glad to see that you enjoyed your visit t...Hi Nina! Glad to see that you enjoyed your visit to the exploratorium and made it through the tactile dome without getting too scared of the dark spaces. In my experience, one of the most rewarding parts of working as an explainer at the ExploratOrium is facilitating visitors in having the kinds of repeat experiences that you talk about in this post. Our philosophy as floor staff "roamers" includes allowing the visitor to interact with the exhibit by themelves for the first few minutes before jumping in with the secrets and secondary uses. Having deeper interactions with an exhibit hopefully might carry over to the next exhibit allowing the visitor to discover another way to use a piece of the museum in a new and exciting way. As a explainer then, it's more important to know the little tricks that spark visitor interest than to have a deep understanding of the physics or chemistry behind an exhibit. By introducing the possibility of different way of playing with the exhibits, we can let them take a little bit of ownership of the experience. Instead of being force-fed facts, they can learn and interact with the museum in more meaningful ways.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com