MCN (Museum Computer Network)’s Post

👁️ New webinar recording: How to create museum visual stories Did you miss our sell-out webinar earlier this month? If you want to improve access for a range of visitors to your museum, gallery or heritage site, learning how to create effective museum visual stories is a valuable skill. If you're looking for a simple, step-by-step guide, this is the training for you! During the recording, you will: 🔍Find out why visual stories are important for a range of families to help plan their visits, 💻️ Learn how to create a visual story and how to present it on a website, 💭 Think about how to test a visual story with families to ensure effectiveness. Buy a copy here: https://lnkd.in/ejRt-DM4

We commissioned six essays to include in the Digital Works Conference printed programme, here's ACMI CEO, Seb Chan's piece "In praise of friction" https://lnkd.in/ew5TWsZV "Over the last decade or so, I’ve been actively designing and advocating for museum experiences that run against this grain. Designing for slowness, designing for friction, whilst also designing for the first time museum visitor is difficult. Designing for slowness means upending ‘first impressions’. Designing for slowness means getting in the way a bit. Designing for slowness means having a greater understanding of context and a willingness for human intervention. Post-pandemic, slowness and human contact is uncomfortable. We don’t necessarily like to be in the presence of strangers. But strangers we must befriend." https://lnkd.in/ew5TWsZV

I love this essay from Seb Chan, expanding on some of the ideas we talked about in our Podcast conversation last year which you can listen to here https://lnkd.in/eT3eE57C

Explore, explain, educate - which of these is your dashboard's purpose? The purpose of your dashboard dictates its design and functionality, much like how a museum is curated to serve different educational goals. Explore: Like an interactive exhibit. Visitors can engage with the displays in various ways—turning knobs, opening drawers, or pressing buttons—to discover more about the subject matter on their own terms. Explain: Like a guided tour. Visitors are lead through a curated path, highlighting key exhibits and providing detailed explanations to convey a specific narrative or insight. Educate: Like a workshop. Participants can learn through predefined readings or engage in hands-on activities under the guidance of an expert, designed to teach new skills or concepts.

Are you attending the NEMA conference in Newport this year? Do you know of a cool exhibit project that deserves to be shared? We are looking for presenters who can speak briefly and share a handful of slides at the Exhibit PAG’s “Slide Show and Tell” conference session. We will give priority to presenters who have not shared in the past, and no project is too small! It can be a project you worked on – or one that you’ve seen recently. Exhibitions can be at any stage in the development process, and we would like to show projects from a variety of museum sizes, types, and budgets! Great projects to share could include: exhibits that accomplish something new (process, materials, design, impact, etc.); projects where you're seeking input from the collective brainpower in the room; epic fails - preferably with solutions or lessons learned; exhibits - or other exhibit-like installations - that have inspired you. If you are interested in presenting or know of a person or project you want to hear from, please reach out to one of the Exhibits PAG chairs: Amber Wingerson, awingers@norwich.edu, Katherine Fecteau, kfecteau@osv.org, or Betsy Loring, betsy@exploringexhibits.com.

Is summative evaluation worth it? In our latest Learning Hub article by Amanda Krantz, we take a closer look at the role of summative evaluation in museums. While it helps assess impact, is it always the best use of resources? Amanda highlights three key considerations: 💸 Money: With costs ranging from $25,000 to hundreds of thousands, is the return on investment for summative evaluation justified, especially when it has little direct influence on the project being evaluated? ⌚ Time: From evaluators to museum practitioners to participants, summative evaluation takes significant time. In today’s world, where time is a valued commodity, are we making the most of it? 🌱 Growth & Learning: Evaluation should be a tool for learning, but is the wider museum field truly benefiting from the cross-project reviews and literature advocated by NSF? Amanda wraps up the article with two thought-provoking questions for you to consider: ➡️Is a summative evaluation (for exhibitions, programs, projects, etc.) worth it in your opinion? Why or why not?  ➡️What type of evaluation, summative or otherwise, feels worth it to you? Why? Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gpVUKRCs #Museums #Evaluation #MuseumEvaluation #SummativeEvaluation

“Make Your Marketing Message Clear and Irresistible. Be the One in the Cave with the Flashlight.”— Fabienne Fredrickson If you want to have authentic messaging for your museum that gets visitors into your museum doors you need three things: Clarity, Consistency, and Confidence. I believe that these “3 Cs” are the keys you need to unlock authentic messaging that is unique and will set you apart from the rest. As a museum, you are asking for your audience’s most precious commodity, their time. Your authentic messaging will lead them to know, like, and trust your museum and want to plan some time to spend with you. Want to learn more? Check out today's blog post: https://lnkd.in/eNUWRi4c

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.

SNEAK PEEK Yesterday, members of the Slow Looking Club got an exclusive first look at the 10 Questioning Practices featured in my upcoming book, The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums. We even used one of them, The Perspectives Triangle, to explore this photograph by Imelda Schoutens. Questioning Practices are intentionally designed structures that foster engagement and inquiry in guided museum experiences. Tailored specifically for the museum context, they offer adaptable ways to spark meaningful discussions around art and objects, encouraging observation, critical thinking, and personal discovery. The 10 Questioning Practices in my book are versatile, flexible, and can be adjusted based on the object, audience, or programme goals. What makes them unique is that every time we use a Questioning Practice, we infuse something of ourselves into it - whether it’s our personal style of asking questions, facilitating discussions, or creating a welcoming atmosphere. I can’t wait to share all 10 with you in just a few weeks!

“Make Your Marketing Message Clear and Irresistible. Be the One in the Cave with the Flashlight.”— Fabienne Fredrickson If you want to have authentic messaging for your museum that gets visitors into your museum doors you need three things: Clarity, Consistency, and Confidence. I believe that these “3 Cs” are the keys you need to unlock authentic messaging that is unique and will set you apart from the rest. As a museum, you are asking for your audience’s most precious commodity, their time. Your authentic messaging will lead them to know, like, and trust your museum and want to plan some time to spend with you. Want to learn more? Check out today's blog post: https://lnkd.in/eUeTiWb8