A successful museum exhibit takes great preparation, the right tools, and working with knowledgeable and experienced professionals. Take your visitor's experience in your museum to the next level by doing the following.
A Clear Audience in Mind
You want your museum to cater to an audience. Crowds will want to learn and experience history in different ways. For instance, children would need more interactive museum experiences, while college students want to digest plenty of information you can provide them.
You can have a clear picture of your audience by creating an audience persona. Evaluate the common demographic of people in your area by doing a survey. Ask them about their historical interests, how they would like to experience history and learning in a museum, what they feel about going to museums and how the experience can be better.
Storytelling
Immersive storytelling through technology can draw many visitors. Exhibits can have one focus, then let the signages below each exhibit tell the detailed stories of each element. Think of each exhibit piece as a chapter in an overarching story.
Humans are inclined to listen to stories because they evoke our emotional side to connect with the time that had passed hundreds of years ago. Banners, signs, digital displays, and other technologies will help you tell the stories of each exhibit piece.
Straight Paths
Museum exhibits are like interactive infographics – they follow a visual path to tie everything together. You can use a tree trunk with branches as a reference. It follows a straight line with side alleys to explain the topic chronologically.
The visitor's path will greatly depend on the existing floor plan of your museum. You can follow your existing gallery paths or innovate the journey. That said, make sure to use an excellent glass display cabinet to immerse your audience.
Introduce Gamification
Interactive storytelling media can be in the form of a game, the most preferred experience for children. Treasure hunts on touchscreens and tablets, point-and-click adventures relevant to the exhibit, and even virtual reality technologies if the budget allows.
Gamifying storytelling in exhibits lets older adults enjoy the exhibit. It becomes an experience catering to the limitation of their senses. For example, older adults with vision difficulties can immerse themselves in the exhibit using 3D VR audio. You can ask health professionals to help you introduce accessibility features through technology.
Interesting Presentations
Artworks and artifacts should be displayed in interesting ways. Keep the items easily visible with enough space to make them a focal point. Video screens next to artworks can tell about their history in an animated way.
Small artifacts need excellent lighting on elevated platforms with high-quality transparent display cabinets. Provide enough space for each artifact to center your audience's focus and give space for any large graphics or banners relevant to the piece.
Learn About Marketing
Exhibits are successful through word-of-mouth and effective digital marketing. Create buzz using social media and email campaigns to reach unique visitors in your area. Reach out to the local press and ask them to talk about the focal points of your upcoming exhibit.
Local social media influencers that cater to history or art topics can help increase your reach. Let them discuss the artworks and artifacts that may interest their audience. Give them exhibit brochures and the focal points of your exhibit for more details. Here are some more ideas for digital marketing your exhibits.
Conclusion
You've done the hard work of preparing for your exhibit. With these tips, you can create buzz, capture the interest and imagination of visitors, and get lots of visitors for your upcoming exhibit.
