Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

JULY 1, 2009

I know this sounds strange coming from someone writing an admittedly self-expressive blog post, but hear me out. When I talk about designing participatory experiences, I often show the above graphic from Forrester Research. Museums see open-ended self-expression as the be-all of participatory experiences.

Participatory 50

Participatory Experiment Museum Teen 50

Museum 2.0

MARCH 16, 2009

I know this sounds strange coming from someone writing an admittedly self-expressive blog post, but hear me out. When I talk about designing participatory experiences, I often show the above graphic from Forrester Research. Museums see open-ended self-expression as the be-all of participatory experiences.

Participatory 44

Participatory Experiment Museum Teen 44

Museum 2.0

SEPTEMBER 12, 2012

This exhibition represents a few big shifts for us: We used a more participatory design process. Our previous big exhibition, All You Need is Love, was highly participatory for visitors but minimally participatory in the development process. Without further ado, here's what we did to make the exhibition participatory.

Participatory 44

Participatory Museum History International 44

Museum 2.0

JUNE 12, 2012

It is multi-disciplinary, incorporates diverse voices from our community, and provides interactive and participatory opportunities for visitor involvement. This post focuses on one aspect of the exhibition: its participatory and interactive elements. So many museum exhibitions relegate the participatory bits in at the end.

Participatory 51

Participatory Museum Blackboard Game 51

Museum 2.0

DECEMBER 14, 2009

This may sound obvious and natural, but it’s easy to underestimate the power of institutional culture. I worked on one project in which the client institution thought they wanted unfettered teen expression. In the end, this generated a substandard product for the client, and disappointment for the teens.

Project 22

Project Museum Teen North Carolina 22

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 25, 2009

Many institutions do this unintentionally--by providing post-its or comment books, pens or crayons. I encourage you to share your own rules and thoughts on this in the comments. Rabinowitz commented that "as a 40-year veteran of history museum interpretation, I can say that I never learned so much from and about visitors."

Design 31

Design Goal Difference Platform 31

Museum 2.0

SEPTEMBER 16, 2007

Last week, I wrote about the ways that dogs can be useful social objects --and you had lots of good comments and input. Sure, it's social, but people stick to their own "pods"--families, teens, adults--and don't diverge or merge. Ideas participatory museum Unusual Projects and Influences visitors. Why does this happen?

Museum 20

Museum Participatory Teen Game 20