Beth Housewert’s Post

Our minds are truly remarkable; they hold the power to shape the world around us. Have you ever thought about the potential of your own thoughts? Well, now there's a way to celebrate and explore them like never before. 🌟Introducing the Museum of Raw Thoughts!🌟 it's a place where you can bring your intangible ideas to life in a tangible way. Imagine a virtual treasure chest where your creativity can run wild! Our platform is where you'll find unique and inspiring ideas carefully curated for their transformative impact. We've also included detailed explanations to help you better understand each thought. And, we encourage you to share your ideas with us through our innovative 'I'magine' feature. But what truly sets us apart is our commitment to nostalgia - every visitor receives a digital ticket upon entry, echoing the cherished memories of traditional museum visits. Our journey from concept to reality has been one of experimentation, collaboration, and boundless creativity. From physical prototypes to engaging with our community, every step has led us closer to realizing the potential of the human mind. Special thanks to Professor Jonathan W. Williams, who has been instrumental in guiding us throughout this project. We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback! Can't wait to see what you come up with! Checkout our website: https://lnkd.in/eJJ97iXT Behance link: https://lnkd.in/e-4fgJ2y #MuseumOfRawThoughts #Innovation #DigitalInnovation #Creativity #IdeasComeToLife

My friend Andi Cuddington introduced me to the idea of your Museum of Almost a few weeks ago. The Museum of Almost is the space in your mind where all of those projects that you almost launched or ideas you almost sketched out or books you almost wrote or trips you almost took are on display. Your museum might be a prominent spot, where the exhibits are well-tended and have lots of detail. Or it might be a more out of the way space, where dust gathers and the lights are flickering. I like this metaphor because it acknowledges the work that is involved with hanging on to almost finished projects. Sometimes it takes a while for the moment to be right or for an idea to develop. But what amount of time and energy is lost on these museums to inertia, to not just getting on with things? Talking through the Museum of Almost with Andi and some other Design Thinking Zeal colleagues did get me moving on a few illustration projects that have been kicking around my museum for a while. With the nudge of our conversation, I drew a few of them and felt true satisfaction and openness. Creating a bit more space in my Museum of Almost is freeing up energy to get some of those bigger projects moving. My museum has a few projects that I'm working away on, that will likely leave the exhibition space in the next year. There are others that are receding into the shadows. And there are a few in-between that I am truly unsure about. Here's to curating the Museum of Almost with care and attention. And to the projects that are ready to get booted out. #DesignThinking #Illustration #Research #PhDCareers #Facilitation

Did you know that most people visit museums in groups? Recent research shows that only 5–20% of visitors go alone.* Given the social nature of museum visits, it makes sense to design experiences that foster collective learning and shared discovery.  But how can we ensure these experiences are meaningful and participant-centred? Creating impactful museum experiences goes beyond selecting artworks or objects. It’s about understanding how people engage with museum spaces, collections, and, most importantly, each other. In my book, I outline three key phases - Entry, Exploration and Exit - that help educators design and structure more intentional and participant-centred experiences. Designing in phases enables us to: ‣ Plan deliberately for different types of engagement at each phase ‣ Create distinct moments, each with its own purpose and dynamic ‣ Give participants time to build confidence in looking and discussing ‣ Structure experiences that avoid rushing straight into content delivery Want to learn more? Explore how you can create meaningful, participant-centred experiences in 'The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums' (link in the comments). *Igdalova, A., Nawaz, S., & Chamberlain, R. (2024). "A View Worth Talking About: The Influence of Social Interaction on Aesthetic Experience and Well-Being Outcomes in the Gallery."

📖 Becoming a Storyteller in Museums: Bringing History to Life Museums are more than places to display artifacts—they are spaces where stories of our collective past come alive. But how do we, as museum professionals, transform static exhibits into compelling narratives? Here are a few key strategies to embrace the art of storytelling in museums: 🎯 Start with the "Why" Every exhibit has a purpose. Why does this artifact matter? What does it tell us about who we are, where we’ve been, or where we’re headed? Let this "why" guide your narrative. 🧩 Find the Human Connection Artifacts become meaningful when they connect with people’s lives. Share the stories of the individuals who created, used, or were impacted by the objects on display. 🌍 Set the Scene Context is key! Paint a vivid picture of the time, place, and culture surrounding your exhibits. Use visuals, sounds, or even scents to immerse visitors in the world you’re presenting. 💬 Engage Through Multiple Voices A great storyteller doesn’t rely on a single perspective. Include diverse voices—be it curators, historians, or the communities connected to the artifacts. This enriches the narrative and makes it inclusive. 🖐 Make It Interactive Invite your audience to participate. Let them touch replicas, solve puzzles, or leave their reflections. Storytelling becomes more powerful when it’s a two-way exchange. 💡 Inspire Emotion At its heart, storytelling is about creating emotional connections. Don’t just inform—delight, surprise, or even provoke your audience to think deeply about the stories you tell. As museum professionals, our role is not just to display history, but to bring it to life in ways that resonate with every visitor. So, let’s keep refining our craft and turning museums into spaces of unforgettable narratives. Share in the comments! 👇 #Museums #Storytelling #CulturalHeritage #MuseumLife #eminspost #eminmuseum

We are thrilled to share that Museum Hue is extending the deadline for the HueCultures Northeast Survey! Museum Hue is developing an online platform centering museums and cultural centers founded and led by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and all People of Color —often referred to as culturally specific museums—in the US. The current working title for this initiative is HueCultures National. The first phase of the project will focus on eleven states and one district across the Northeast region of the United States: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington D.C. Our long term goal is a full-scale national platform of these museums and cultural centers. To bring this project to life, we are collaborating with Yancey Consulting, an organizational and leadership development consulting firm, and Slover Linett at NORC, a social research firm for the cultural sector who developed the present survey to deepen what we learned from those conversations. To help with this effort, we are asking for you to participate in a brief survey. This survey will take you approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. For your time and expertise you will be given a $100 thank you that can be claimed through a form at the close of the survey. The survey should be completed by individuals in leadership at a culturally specific institution operating in one of the locales listed above and who can answer questions of budget, organizational history, and programming. Please only complete one survey per organization. The deadline to share on behalf of your organization is Friday, August 23rd. 🔗 Click the link to learn more: https://ow.ly/UgAQ50STikT

The most compelling exhibits not only offer insights into the past or information about the world around us — they include a glimpse into the future, inspiration, and takeaway messages that shape the worldview of those who visit. This is a powerful thing — the power to shape solutions for the future. The forward-looking aspect of exhibits is essential in fostering a sense of responsibility and agency among visitors. By prompting reflection on the future implications of the content, exhibits can empower individuals to contribute positively to their communities and the world at large. Through thoughtful presentation and incorporation of takeaway messages, our collaborative approach ensures that exhibits not only inform and engage but also inspire action and change for a better tomorrow. Early on in the exhibit design process, we encourage our clients to consider the takeaway messages they want visitors to walk away with. How will your next exhibit shape the future? 📷 Conceptual designs we created for the National Building Museum #designingforsolutions #exhibitdesign #exhibitiondesign #exhibitiondesigners #exhibitdesigners 

Back in 2011, I noticed that museum educators and guides were struggling to lead inquiry-based experiences that effectively engaged their groups. At the same time, teachers were telling me that they wanted museum programmes to inspire close observation, group discussion, and collaboration - with less “telling.” This 'engagement deficit' led to the creation of the Thinking Museum® Approach. Its core focus is engagement—how we see, explore, and interact with art and objects, and with each other. This approach gives educators, guides, and docents the tools to design and lead inquiry-based, engaging experiences in museums confidently. In preparation for the launch of my book, Cigdem Guven created a new look for the Thinking Museum® Approach that reflects its core values: meaningful connections, collaborative learning, and shared discovery. What do you think? I love it! PS Stay tuned for the release of 'The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums'. This book will provide practical techniques and tips to bring museum experiences to life. I'll put links in the comments to find out more.

Arts and culture are often seen as an add-on or a luxury—something to fund only after dealing with more pressing issues. However, I believe that arts and culture are incredibly powerful and proactive tools that can serve as upstream solutions to a wide range of social challenges. Numerous studies have shown that engagement with the arts can significantly impact health and mental well-being, support people in recovery, and foster a sense of belonging and social cohesion. The arts have the potential to make us happier, healthier individuals, whether we are appreciating them or actively participating in them. Happier, healthier people are better equipped to contribute to their communities in meaningful ways. So, let's elevate the conversation and recognize that the arts can be part of the solution. "Admission to an art museum in the US might set you back $15 or $25 or nothing at all, depending on where and who you are. But a new study that sets out to measure the societal value of museums in monetary terms estimates that a single visit will pay dividends many times over in benefits to your well-being, equivalent to more than $900 per adult visitor." https://lnkd.in/gmjfr4gn

🖼 Museum Fatigue is real...and so is Presentation Fatigue! 😴 Have you ever experienced “museum fatigue”—that exhausted feeling you get when, after walking through a few galleries, all the art starts blurring together, and your mind checks out? Museum fatigue is real (look it up on Wikipedia). It’s a natural phenomenon caused by sensory overload and cognitive exhaustion. And it happens during presentations, too! Just like museums that cram too much information into one visit, presentations overloaded with slides, data, and long-winded explanations can lead to “presentation fatigue.” The audience starts strong, but a third of the way through, their attention wanes, they disengage, and the core message is lost. In both cases, the content is not the issue—it’s the design. A museum and a presentation are experiences designed for an audience. Museum architects and curators have studied the problem and developed best practices for optimizing visitor experiences. These solutions include adding variability, reducing the number of exhibits, and adding comfortable seating. When I design a presentation, the audience’s experience is at the forefront of my mind. How can I optimize for maximum understanding? How can I keep viewers engaged? What can I do to help this information stick? Focusing on clarity, engagement, and storytelling, we help audiences stay energized and connected from start to finish. Next time you prepare a presentation, ask yourself: Are you delivering a masterpiece or just another overwhelming exhibit? #PresentationDesign #AudienceEngagement #LessIsMore #MuseumFatigue #DataStorytelling

🖼 Museum Fatigue is real...and so is Presentation Fatigue! 😴 Have you ever experienced “museum fatigue”—that exhausted feeling you get when, after walking through a few galleries, all the art starts blurring together, and your mind checks out? Museum fatigue is real (look it up on Wikipedia). It’s a natural phenomenon caused by sensory overload and cognitive exhaustion. And it happens during presentations, too! Just like museums that cram too much information into one visit, presentations overloaded with slides, data, and long-winded explanations can lead to “presentation fatigue.” The audience starts strong, but a third of the way through, their attention wanes, they disengage, and the core message is lost. In both cases, the content is not the issue—it’s the design. A museum and a presentation are experiences designed for an audience. Museum architects and curators have studied the problem and developed best practices for optimizing visitor experiences. These solutions include adding variability, reducing the number of exhibits, and adding comfortable seating. When I design a presentation, the audience’s experience is at the forefront of my mind. How can I optimize for maximum understanding? How can I keep viewers engaged? What can I do to help this information stick? Focusing on clarity, engagement, and storytelling, we help audiences stay energized and connected from start to finish. Next time you prepare a presentation, ask yourself: Are you delivering a masterpiece or just another overwhelming exhibit? #PresentationDesign #AudienceEngagement #LessIsMore #MuseumFatigue #DataStorytelling