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Article on Information
Design
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models | processes |
Although similar skills and responsibilities were represented on each of the design teams studied, no two were identically composed. One of the participants in this study observed that design teams consisted of two groups of people: core members and peripheral members. The observation is consistent with patterns observed at all 3 museums.
Core team members have responsibility for designing, developing, and installing an exhibit. In other words, core team members conceive of the idea for an exhibit and bring the idea to reality. Core team members include:
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Idea generator |
Devises the vision of the exhibition and espouses the design goals that it should achieve. The term idea generator is one that I chose. In this study, each idea generator was an executive of the institution and had responsibilities that extend far beyond the scope of the exhibit. Two of the three hold Ph.D.s in American Studies from George Washington University. |
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Implementer |
Coordinates the various components of the exhibit and has ultimate responsibility for its successful launch. The term implementer is one that I chose. In 2 of the 3 museums, the implementer was a different person than the idea generator. All 3 wrote part or all of the exhibit storyline and script. Two of the 3 implementers have master’s degrees with emphasis on museum careers: one studied library science to enhance his skills in archiving, the other holds a degree in American History with a concentration in museum studies. |
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Designer |
Draws the floor plan for the exhibit, and designs and produces all of its visual elements. The term designer was used in all 3 museums studied. The designers at the High Tech and Industrial History Museums used the term designer in their job titles. Because both are the only designers on staff, they work on all exhibits at their museums; they did not exclusively work on the ones studied. In contrast, the team at the Urban History Museum hired an outside firm to design Without Frontiers. Each of the 3 designers each have relevant artistic training: 1 has a bachelor’s degree in art, the other 2 in design. |
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Curator |
Prepares objects displayed in the exhibit. The term curator is used at all 3 museums. The role of the curator varies widely among museums. At 2 of the museums studied, the implementer served as the curator for the exhibition in addition to other roles. One served as Assistant Executive Director, the other as Manager of Exhibits. In the latter museum, specific responsibility for handling and managing objects lay with the registrar. The curator at the third museum did not work as part of the team. She was literally and figuratively given her corner to work in and left alone. |
That curators play a central role in the design of 2 of the 3 exhibits studied seems to contradict the growing belief that "the curator-scholar [is] unable or unwilling to communicate to a broad general public and that the message had to be communicated by a corps of educators" (Washburn, 1996, p.61). In fact, people whose primary job is "educator" played a peripheral role in 2 of the 3 teams studied.
Peripheral team members assist the core team members in realizing their plans for the exhibition. Each peripheral team member brings a specialized skill to the team. These skills are usually needed only part-time; hence most of these team members work on other projects during the development of a given exhibit. Peripheral team members only participate on the team to the extent that core team members perceive the need for their skills. Peripheral team members include:
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Educator |
Develops supplemental educational materials and provides design ideas as requested. The term educator is used at all 3 museums studied and was encountered in the literature. As suggested by Soren (1992), educators play a limited role in the development of exhibits. At one museum, the educator reviewed exhibit plans but her input was not otherwise actively sought. At another museum, the design team actively involved its educator in the design process, even hiring an educator full-time to work on the exhibit. The 2 educators both had formal education in the field, one had school experience, the other a long career in museum education. |
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Editor |
Reviews label copy. The term editor comes from the museum literature. Editors, used at 2 of the museums studied, have responsibility for producing copy for some of the smaller labels and editing all publications associated with the exhibit. In the third museum, the idea generator and implementer edited the copy together. None of the editors interviewed for this study had specialized training in editing. |
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Production personnel |
Build specific parts of the exhibit. The Urban History Museum used outside firms for most of its production assistance. Conservators, video producers, and fabricators were among the production skills contracted by the staff. The primary exception was the installation manager, who oversaw fabrication and installation of the exhibition. The High Tech Museum primarily relied on temporary staff for production assistance, hiring interns and short-term contractors. In contrast, the Industrial History Museum relied almost exclusively on its existing staff and volunteers for production assistance. All 3 museums used outside firms to produce audiovisual materials, such as videos. |
On some teams, one person assumed several roles. On others, one person served exclusively in a given role, but simultaneously played that role on several teams.
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(c) Copyright. 1998. Saul Carliner. All rights reserved.
