You, Me and Science.
Tim Molloy, Head of Strategic Design at the Science Museum, is talking about 'You, Me & Science'.
Tim starts by suggesting that it's quite difficult to talk to people about science. He shows a slide showing an early picture of the Science Museum - with collections from the Great Exhibition. The collection somehow ended up in the V&A, where it was pretty dense an impenitrable. The sign over the door, he says, was 'the non-art collection' - a problem which to some extent continues today. The Science Museum is quite a humble building, he suggests, unlike some other big museums.
Tim shows a photo of the new Making the Modern World gallery. The director wanted to showcase some of the collection as beautiful, interesting objects. So the collection went from being a non-art collection to one which was displayed as though it was art.
Branding. People depend on science but don't understand it, they want a trusted guide. The Science Museum must fulfil this role, whilst being approachable and world class.
The Antenna gallery talks to people about contemporary science. It used to take 6 weeks minimum to get a story onto the gallery floor. With Antenna, stories can go on to gallery overnight if need be, but more usually within a week.
Launch Pad. Shows how things work - the best way of showing something is to allow them to directly take part in doing it. Interactivity isn't done just for the sake of it, as it's expensive and difficult, but because it helps us engage with visitors.
Ingenious is a series of galleries which simply tell stories. Current gallery is about Spitfire.
Outreach is another way of
The museum isn't just about the content though, people come to museums because they are public spaces, and want to explore, eat, watch other people, etc. So it's important to design spaces for these activities.
The Science Museum store is important, not just to raise important revenue, but because people expect it, wanting to take a souvenir home. The shop is also producing its own products, which are sold elsewhere too. The brand is informal, but authoritative.
Catering - when he joined the Science Museum, the shop sold a few postcards and research papers, and there was a small 'tea bar'. Now we have three main catering outlets - important because people expect these as part of a visit.
Questions: someone asked about how much research they did before developing brands and exhibits. Heather Mayfield answers, saying that the Science Museum does a huge amount of research in developing exhibits, however it's important not to just do what people ask for, as they only ask for things based on experience from elsewhere, and you don't want to just to what other people have already done.
Someone else asks about exhibit lifespan. Tim tells a story of Digitopolis, which opened in 2000 and closed in 2006. That gallery was about technology and had a lifespan of five year. At the V&A, some galleries that are twenty years old that still look good, but it's difficult to do this when talking about the future. Rapid churn of content is important to the Science Museum.
Someone asks how the brand was developed. Tim suggests that it is a work in progress, and probably always will be. The Science Museum has a reputation, which has a value, and intends to use its recognised (brand) characteristics to promote the idea of Science learning.
Final question, someone asks about a new children's gallery - is having a seperate children's gallery distinct to science museums? Tim suggests it not unique, as the Tate Modern and the Horniman all do this. He also sees the style of 'children galleries' like Launch Pad as also being relevant to other audiences - interactivity is important to many audiences, it's just that kids are generally better at working and playing at that level. The museum doesn't want to ghettoise the children's galleries, as most children and family groups will explore other galleries apart from the ones aimed directly at children.
Someone asked to what extend the museum has been able to move away from white middle class audiences. Heather says free entry meant a larger audience, but of the same proportions. Whilst school groups reflect the London community, the main audience hasn't really shifted. Outreach can help with this, but there is still work to do. The Tate Modern is a shining example of what can be done however.
Tim starts by suggesting that it's quite difficult to talk to people about science. He shows a slide showing an early picture of the Science Museum - with collections from the Great Exhibition. The collection somehow ended up in the V&A, where it was pretty dense an impenitrable. The sign over the door, he says, was 'the non-art collection' - a problem which to some extent continues today. The Science Museum is quite a humble building, he suggests, unlike some other big museums.
Tim shows a photo of the new Making the Modern World gallery. The director wanted to showcase some of the collection as beautiful, interesting objects. So the collection went from being a non-art collection to one which was displayed as though it was art.
Branding. People depend on science but don't understand it, they want a trusted guide. The Science Museum must fulfil this role, whilst being approachable and world class.
The Antenna gallery talks to people about contemporary science. It used to take 6 weeks minimum to get a story onto the gallery floor. With Antenna, stories can go on to gallery overnight if need be, but more usually within a week.
Launch Pad. Shows how things work - the best way of showing something is to allow them to directly take part in doing it. Interactivity isn't done just for the sake of it, as it's expensive and difficult, but because it helps us engage with visitors.
Ingenious is a series of galleries which simply tell stories. Current gallery is about Spitfire.
Outreach is another way of
The museum isn't just about the content though, people come to museums because they are public spaces, and want to explore, eat, watch other people, etc. So it's important to design spaces for these activities.
The Science Museum store is important, not just to raise important revenue, but because people expect it, wanting to take a souvenir home. The shop is also producing its own products, which are sold elsewhere too. The brand is informal, but authoritative.
Catering - when he joined the Science Museum, the shop sold a few postcards and research papers, and there was a small 'tea bar'. Now we have three main catering outlets - important because people expect these as part of a visit.
Questions: someone asked about how much research they did before developing brands and exhibits. Heather Mayfield answers, saying that the Science Museum does a huge amount of research in developing exhibits, however it's important not to just do what people ask for, as they only ask for things based on experience from elsewhere, and you don't want to just to what other people have already done.
Someone else asks about exhibit lifespan. Tim tells a story of Digitopolis, which opened in 2000 and closed in 2006. That gallery was about technology and had a lifespan of five year. At the V&A, some galleries that are twenty years old that still look good, but it's difficult to do this when talking about the future. Rapid churn of content is important to the Science Museum.
Someone asks how the brand was developed. Tim suggests that it is a work in progress, and probably always will be. The Science Museum has a reputation, which has a value, and intends to use its recognised (brand) characteristics to promote the idea of Science learning.
Final question, someone asks about a new children's gallery - is having a seperate children's gallery distinct to science museums? Tim suggests it not unique, as the Tate Modern and the Horniman all do this. He also sees the style of 'children galleries' like Launch Pad as also being relevant to other audiences - interactivity is important to many audiences, it's just that kids are generally better at working and playing at that level. The museum doesn't want to ghettoise the children's galleries, as most children and family groups will explore other galleries apart from the ones aimed directly at children.
Someone asked to what extend the museum has been able to move away from white middle class audiences. Heather says free entry meant a larger audience, but of the same proportions. Whilst school groups reflect the London community, the main audience hasn't really shifted. Outreach can help with this, but there is still work to do. The Tate Modern is a shining example of what can be done however.
posted by Frankie Roberto at
8:30 AM
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