Exhibit Aphorisms

The Three Ways an Exhibit Must Work (Ken Gleason):

1. Attraction
If they don’t use it,
it won’t achieve anything.
2. Function
It must work,
keep working and be safe.
3. Education
What we’re for, and why we’re doing it. 1 and 2 lead here.

Design always doubles the cost, but good design can multiply the value many times

The last 10% of the exhibit takes 90% of the work.
The last 10% of the work takes the other 90% of the time allotted.

Visitors are the most destructive force known to man

If it can happen, eventually it will

“The Survival of the Dullest”
(Stolen from Ian Simmons):

Good exhibits are popular, get used and therefore break down.
Dull exhibits don’t get used and so don’t break down.
Therefore all interactive exhibitions, if left to themselves, eventually tend towards the dull

Just because an exhibit is popular doesn’t mean that it really works

Sufficient ruggedisation of loose parts of exhibits turns them into weapons

Big levers mean big forces

Unbreakable isn’t,
Shatterproof isn’t,
Scratchproof isn’t.

For every hole or gap there is a corresponding human limb or appendage to get wedged in it

Any component that is ideal, cheap and universally available will be discontinued by the time the exhibit that uses it is fully developed.
Any component that doesn’t exist, so you have to devise it at great cost, will be in the next RS catalogue.

If in doubt don’t

Simple exhibits aren’t

Making easy exhibits is difficult.
Making easy exhibits difficult is easy.

Bad exhibit ideas get more complex, good exhibit ideas get simpler.

The reliability of an exhibit is inversely proportional to the number and importance of the people using it.

Newsletter Spring 1998 Contents

Centres > Satrosphere News | What is happening to Light on Science? | Inspire News | Herstmonceux News

Exhibits > BIG working group on exhibit development | What is Design? | Exhibit Aphorisms | "Here's Looking at Euclid" - exhibit idea | Roald Dahl and the Children's Gallery | Are hybrids best? - viewpoint

Demonstrations and shows > Shows at the Exploratory | Exploding Can Demonstration | Water to wine Demonstration | Nitrogen story - urban myth?

Millennium News > More Millennium Grants | Pantechniques rewarded | Millennium awards scheme | A listing of interactive projects funded by lottery grants

Research > Measuring the performance of interactive centres

Resources and conferences > Conferences and Future Events | Indian Science Congress Report | Managing Science Centres Book Review | Children's Museums Book information

BIG > BIG Moves - From the Chair | BIG AGM Report | BIG Annual Report 1997