What if there were a better way?

Are the normal exhibition planning and design methods actually way too risky — and is there a way to “de-risk” them? Are our concepts not good enough, because we’re not developing enough of them, fast enough? What would happen if we merged effective web techniques like “Agile” with established physical development processes like “Waterfall”?

Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) is joined by Clare Brown (PhD candidate and Creative Director at G&A) to explore “Rapid Experience Design”, a new approach to the typical development process that Clare is researching for her doctorate.

Along the way: adventure education, the tyranny of the floor plan, some rollerskating, and listening to a doctoral candidate think about her project in real time.

Talking Points:

1. The usual approach to exhibition design — “waterfall” — isn’t the only way.

2. We can combine approaches from outside the exhibition world to make something new.

3. Focus on creating experiences first, spatial arrangements later.

4. This new approach can “de-risk” a project.

5. The process was inspired by teaching fast courses.

6. Changing established processes teaches you about change itself.

Guest Bio:

Clare Brown has led teams creating museum experiences for the past 25 years. She is currently Creative Director at G&A, an experience design company where she guides creative process and cultivates human-centered design practices. In addition to professional practice, Clare's background includes design education and 'design as research', through her role as Chair and Assistant Professor of Design at the Corcoran College of Art & Design, and in pursuing a PhD in Experience Design and Collaborative Creativity. She brings to her work a background growing up as a '3rd Culture Kid' in Africa and Asia, working in the theater, and pursuing degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Museum Studies. Clare embraces dance, roller skating, and flying trapeze among many forms of physical movement to deepen her understanding of resilience, risk, joy, and creativity.

About MtM:

Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger.

This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at:
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Show Links:

Clare on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarebrown/

MtM Show Contact:

https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger

alger@cgpartnersllc.com

https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Newsletter:

Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com