Developing and Managing
Visitor Attractions
Use of Interpretation
in Visitor Attractions
– Putting together
your plan
Lesson 2 of 2
Stairheid Cludgie New Lanark
Scran No. 000-000-184-162-C
© SCRAN / New Lanark Conservation Trust
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
1
Putting together your Plan?
According to the
Philosopher Friedrich
Nietzsche (1844 1900) " There are no
facts, only
interpretations"
(source: The Journal
for Scotland's
Interpreters: Interpret
Scotland, issue 3,
Spring 2001, p6)
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
*Annie MacLeod’s Experience, New Lanark
Scran No. 000-000-183-532-C
© SCRAN / New Lanark Conservation Trust
2
Putting together your Plan?

Focus of the
Interpretation
 Design important
 Design to protect the
resources
 Vital to recognise
the uniqueness of
site
 Make site stand out
from competition
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation Panel at lower Funicular Station Cairngorms
Interpretation
© SCRAN / Mary Mitchell
3
Before planning your Interpretation

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Number of questions
need to be asked
WHO are your visitors
and audience?
WHO are the main
characters involved in
the story/event?
WHAT should be
interpreted?
WHAT happened?
WHERE should the
story be interpreted
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
Internal view of Groam House Museum
Scran No. 000-000-025-513-C
© SCRAN / Jon Bailey / Susan Seright
4
Before planning your Interpretation
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
WHERE did the event
happen?
WHICH items should be
used to illustrate the
story / event?
WHICH items were
involved in the story /
event?
WHEN should the event
be interpreted?
WHEN did the event
occur?
Mary Mitchell
An example of an Interpretation Panel depicting Australia’s
past in the Outback making the use of an old goods wagon
on an old track
Interpretation
© SCRAN / Mary Mitchell
5
Activity 1 - Who and what were
used?

For this activity I would like you to
think about the types of
interpretation you have seen when
visiting different visitor attractions.
a.
b.
Think of the main characters involved
in the story and
Which items were used to tell the story
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
6
Activity 1 - Who and what were
used?
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
7
WHO are our visitors and
audience?

Humour adds interest to exhibitions
"Stairheid Cludgie" in Mill Workers House Exhibition New Lanark, 1994
Scran No. 000-000-184-162-C
© SCRAN / New Lanark Conservation Trust
Mary Mitchell
Should be appropriate
to the audience
 Engage with your
visitors through your
interpretation
 Different market
segments need different
interpretation designs
and methods
 To special interest
groups
Interpretation
8
Who or what should be interpreted

Evidence should be
gathered




Landscape, wildlife,
famous people,
historic events etc.
Look for clues for
uniqueness
find the 'story'
find the 'sense of
place'
Mary Mitchell
Callanish Standing Stones
Scran No. 000-000-025-228-C
© SCRAN / Diego Meozzi & Paola Arosio
Interpretation
9
Activity 2 - Using the evidence
 Working
in pairs, for this activity I
would like you to discuss the
evidence you have for your own
visitor attraction. Think of what
should be interpreted and what you
will use to do this interpretation.
Compare notes with each other.
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
10
Activity 2 - Using the evidence
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
11
WHERE should we interpret the story

Where the 'story' or
'event' occurred ?
 i.e. for instance for a
'battle'
 Next best place
 Consider the fragility of
the site
 Consider health and
safety issues
 Inside or Outside or both?
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
Bonawe Iron Furnace
Scran No. 000-000-004 –116-C
© SCRAN / Historic Scotland
12
What type of media will be used

Artic Hare’s lifestyle in the Cairngorm Mountain
Exhibition
© SCRAN / Mary Mitchell
Mary Mitchell
Number of different
methods available
a.
Leaflets and Publications
b. Graphic Panels
c. Audio Tours
d. Audio listening posts
e. Message Repeaters
f. Conducted Tours /
Guided Walks
Interpretation
13
What type of media will be used

Re-enactments can bring history to life in the
place it happened
Historic Re-enactment
© SCRAN / Historic Scotland
Mary Mitchell
g.
Number of different
methods available
g. Audio Visual Films
h. Artefacts and Exhibits
i. Interactive Media technology led
Re-enactments - brings
history to life
Interpretation
14
Written & Illustrative Style

Powhatan Indian Village, Virginia
© SCRAN / Mary Mitchell
Mary Mitchell
consider your audience
 write in short sentences
and paragraphs
 90% of story can be
illustrations
 remember a picture can
speak a volume of
words
 avoid jargon, clichés
and technical terms
Interpretation
15
Written & Illustrative Style





A public toilet wall in Australia’s Outback
© SCRAN / Mary Mitchell
Mary Mitchell

use only one idea for
each sentence
vary the length of your
sentences
check your punctuation
avoid bias
use the first person use
active rather than
passive verbs
simple clear terms
Interpretation
16
Written & Illustrative Style

Perth College Tourism Students interacting with an
exhibition at Edinburgh Dungeon. This can help bring
interpretation to life
© SCRAN / Mary Mitchell
Mary Mitchell
try and use some
humour
 ensure sign is large
enough for the
illustration
 read and rewrite,
reducing your words if
possible
 Latest report states the
average attention space
of the reading public is
now down to 200 words
Interpretation
17
Activity 3 - Creating a Panel
For this activity I would like you to
consider what you would have on one of
your interpretation panels in your
attraction, in the form of text and
graphics
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
18
Activity 3 - Creating the Panel
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
19
Managing and Maintaining

Below are a few
examples of
maintenance jobs:



1820s Shop Exhibition, New Lanark, February 1997

Scran No. 000-000-184-091-C
© SCRAN / New Lanark Conservation Trust

Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
clearing weeds and
vegetation from around
panels and outdoor
exhibits
touching up the paintwork
replacing lights and
fittings
ensuring all computer
exhibits are functioning
correctly
replacing when necessary
20
Finally - Evaluation
 Front-end
Skara Barae in Orkney
Scran No. 000-000-004-474-C
© SCRAN / Historic Scotland
Mary Mitchell
evaluation
 Formative
evaluation
 Remedial
evaluation
 Summative
evaluation
Interpretation
21
Summary
What have we learned today
 How to put your plan together
 Plan before interpreting
 Consider your audience
 Who or what should be interpreted
 What media and writing style to use
 Manage, Maintain and evaluate
Mary Mitchell
Interpretation
22