The Development of a Planning Framework for Museum
Exhibition Design
Chung-Hung Lin
Abstract
The planning of museum exhibition design working involves large numbers of design
personnel making multiple decisions. The successful performance of large
multi-disciplinary design working requires enormous co-oridination to ensure all
participants are constantly aware of the ever changing of the design working, so that
the design errors may be eliminated and reduced. As museum exhibition planning
become technically more sophisticated and design work more specialized and
fragmented, a framework for inter-disciplinary museum exhibition design is becoming
increasingly important. It would be advantage to develop a planning method that can
be used to achieve complex museum exhibition design work. Such a method allows
designers and curators to demonstrate the viability of a systematic design approach in
carrying out both design and planning tasks.
This study provides both theoretical foundation and practical application by proposing
a particular form of inter-disciplinary museum exhibition design work. The outcome
of this study, therefore, is to create a conceptual design method concerning the
following approaches:
(1) The first achievement will be a conceptual framework for the design planning
that allows designers to cope with the complexity of co-ordination between all
participants involved in carrying out different aspects of museum exhibition design.
(2) The second achievement will be a multi-disciplinary design planning in a
structured framework, affording designers and curators an understanding of the
planning, design and production information necessary to achieve design aims.
Keywords: museum exhibition, design process, framework and inter-disciplinary.
1. Aims of the study
Exhibition development is a complex activity which is expanding beyond the design
discipline (Dean, 1994). Various kinds of specialists have brought a new perspective
to museum exhibitions especially in terms of digital technology which has had a
major impact on the design process in museum exhibition development. Furthermore,
traditional museum exhibition design is being increasingly replaced by
multi-disciplinary practices that involve a wide range of museum specialists, such as
artists, engineers, architects, designers, curators, museum specialists and educators.
The aim in this research is to develop a systematic planning framework which allows
designers and curators to cope with the complexities of multi-disciplinary design
working as well as meet curatorial requirements in the museum exhibition context.
This is to be achieved by exploratory and detailed study of the design and museum
disciplines.
2. Research methodology
In particular, for this study it was decided to undertake a series of surveys and
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exploratory study about data and a real design process. This research undertakes a
series of methods from literature review, design processes examination, and case
studies to generate a sophisticated approach to the planning and design of the museum
exhibition. Three different approaches were considered: firstly, literature survey about
museum exhibition and design process aspects were identified to carry out design
criteria. The second approach examined existing museum exhibition design processes
to understand the real planning characteristics of museum exhibition design. Thirdly,
one case is to be studied and examined (Figure 1).
Stage
Content
Stage 1
Aim and purpose
Multi-disciplinary museum
exhibition design
Literature Review
The museum exhibition
design approach
'
'
Figure 1: Research methodology
Such surveys and studies include:
(a) Defining and identifying data from literature review to ascertain the research
approach;
(a) Exploring the theory of design processes to ascertain design planning can be
drawn in terms of museum exhibitions; and
(b) Examining and analyzing a case to formulate a design method for developing the
planning framework.
3. The roles of museum exhibition design
3.1 Multi-disciplinary museum exhibition design
The design and development of museum exhibitions involve large numbers of design
personnel making thousands of decisions. Very rarely are these decisions performed in
isolation (Austin et al., 1993). Traditional museum exhibition design practices are
being increasingly replaced by multi-disciplinary practices, which encourage and ease
information transfer between professions. The successful performance of a large
multi-disciplinary project requires enormous co-ordination to ensure all parties are
constantly aware of the ever changing status of the project, so that design mistakes
may be eliminated and design process kept smoothly.
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Exhibition design involves all kinds of relevant techniques and interacts with the
nature of the relevant information applied. Exhibition designers have to work with
curators and management as well as design concepts. Managing them involves
monitoring the planning, design, and production phases and coordinating
multi-disciplinary decision making. In order to achieve museum exhibition objectives,
such design expertise needs to associate with technical and other disciplines (e.g.
educators) to carry out its tasks (Figure 2).
Design
expertise
Client
requirement
Architectural
expertise
Museum
exhibition
design
Curatorial
approach
Costs
Production
Figure 2: Multi-disciplinary museum exhibition design
3.2 The museum exhibition design approach
The theory of museum exhibitions and their practice, unlike many more recent
professions, remains a singular design-based development (Thompson, 1986).
Designing a museum exhibition is becoming a complex process that requires a
multitude of decisions to ensure a smooth progression after establishing the client’s
needs. The design planning for museum exhibitions consists of participants and
design information flows, which are the key elements producing the design approach.
Planning a museum exhibition project should be to balance functional requirements,
aesthetics and total cost in museum exhibition design by employing inter-disciplinary
such as project management, subject research, cost-benefit, design aspects, and
production.
3.3 The task of museum exhibition design
The design tasks range from overall design concepts, visual expression,
three-dimensional objects of an exhibition to the detailed specification of particular
exhibit requirements and systems (Lord and Lord, 1991). The tasks and functions of
museums are currently considered within design development which includes design
specifications and museum criteria (Belcher, 1991). Both factors involve important
interactions between the professionals concerned: architects, designers, curators and
other specialists, and ensure that museum exhibition design fulfills museum
objectives (Lord and Lord, 1999).
4. Examining the design process
Examining the design process provides a basic understanding of design process tasks
in relation to the planning museum exhibition design. In the section, a number of
design processes concerning exhibitions and architecture are briefly explained and
analyzed. The critical analysis of the design process will influence the approach taken
to form the museum exhibition framework.
4.1 The RIAB, Plan of Work design process
The RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) is an independent institution in the
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UK, originally published in 1967, has the role of a design guide for architecture. The
Plan of Work is a prescriptive process, which provides a methodical framework for
clients and building professionals (Newton, 1995). The aims and objectives of the
RIBA professional work plan are based on improving specific project development by
organizations and building professionals. The design process is a linear sequence of
working stages and is described from the viewpoints of design, management,
engineering and construction (RIBA, 1973). Each phase is interpreted very differently,
as each is formed to the requirements of the given work processes. In particular, this
plan of design issues is concerned with the activities associated with design objectives,
design feasibility and design priorities (Figure 3).
Work
stage
Action
A
Inception
B
Feasibility
C
D
Outline proposals
Scheme Design
E
F
Detail Design
Production Information
G
H
Bills of Quantities
Tender Action
J
K
Project Planning
Operations on Site
L
Completion
M
Feedback
Process
Briefing
Assimilation
Sketch
Plans
General
study
Working
Drawings
Development
Site
Operations Communication
Figure 3: The RIAB, Plan of Work design process
The Outline Plan of Work can be used as an adaptable framework, subject to the
considerations of the method of working and the development of the design. Such a
framework subdivides work operations into a 12-stage design and management
process which allows the stages to follow one after another. It should be clearly
understood that the RIBA Outline Plan of Work presents design and management
guidance for process work rather than a method which designers can follow to
perform the process of design. In other words, the process only depicts the stages in
any design project in which decisions are made; it is not a design process of creative
method.
4.2 Velarde’s museum exhibition design process
Giles Velarde has a background in exhibition design in the broad areas of museum,
retail and commerce. Velarde’s book ‘Designing Exhibitions’ was first published in
1986 and then reedited in a second edition published in 2001. The book is a practical
exhibition design guide which describes a wide range of exhibition objectives in
museums, trade fairs, world fairs, market stalls, science centers, heritage centers and
commercial displays. Velarde describes his exhibition design process as a detailed
brief, which covers inception, feasibility, design principles, techniques, production,
completion and maintenance. Although the introduction discusses the wider
applications of exhibition design, the majority of examples are taken from museum
contexts such as interactive displays, access and operational conditions.
Velarde’s process (Table 1) indicates the contents for the each design stage. The
process does not provide a check on prior stages, nor stage planning to check current
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conditions. However, the detailed consideration of content is likely to act as notice of
change for each work stage. It does not identify design information as a
communication tool.
Table 1 Velarde’s design process
Key areas
Contents
Concept design
Concept brief, concept design, client presentation, response and approval.
Scheme design
Detail design period, client presentation, response and approval.
Detail design
Detail design period, client presentation, response and approval.
Financial
Budget parameters established, costs apportioned and assembled,
quotes obtained, costs finalized, orders finalized.
3D implementation Off-site fabrication, access to site permitted, construction on site,
animatronic fit out.
Venues
Provisional example listing issued, approval of exhibition/venue feasibility.
Scripting and
graphics
Content script from client, graphic content developed, client presentation,
response and approval, detailed graphic development, client presentation
and approval, final script and images from client, art working, client
copy writing, client presentation, response and approval, artwork signed
off, production and installation.
Commissioning
3D snagging, lighting animatronic programming, final levels set and clean,
press opening.
Although Velarde considers a variety of details, he does not connect each activity
within design development. Each design activity it seems, can be done individually
without inter-disciplinary collaboration. The process does not describe what
documentation is needed although he mentions that ‘the information’ is needed in the
earliest stage (Velarde, 2001).
4.3 Lord and Lord’s museum exhibition design process
For Lord and Lord, the museum collection and its preservation and interpretation are
essential elements of museum planning strategy and process. This process is
summarised for the purposes of establishing a planning manual which consists of 7
stages: Museum planning, Briefing, Design, Construction documentation,
Construction, Commissioning and Evaluation (Figure 4).
(a) Strategy in Museum planning (Stage 1);
(b) Development of the museum’s requirements in Briefing (Stage 2) and Design
(Stage 3); and
(c) The satisfaction of the museum’s requirements in Construction documentation
(Stage 4), Construction (Stage 5), Commissioning (Stage 6), and Evaluation (Stage 7).
Stage
The role played by
1. Museum planning
Preliminary planning
Corporate plan
Collection analysis and strategy
Market analysis and strategy
Public programme plan
Feasibility study
Museum planner
Governing authority: board, trust.
Curator
Market analyst
5Museum staff
Museum planner, quantity surveyor
2. Briefing
Functional programme
Museum planner
Quantity surveyor
Figure 4: Lord and Lord’s museum exhibition design process
The museum planning process that Lord and Lord identify concentrates on a highly
structured approach to institutional strategy dealing with funding sponsors, policy and
marketing. These factors are often vital to museum growth, however, they assume that
the overall museum programme is building (Lord and Lord, 1991) and based upon the
architect’s professional work.
4.4 The comparison of the three design process
To compare the nature of these three design processes, the RIBA Outline Plan of
Work, however, establishes a workable sequence of stages that can be adopted by
architects and designers for conducting any building project. The Velarde and Belcher
process can be described as covering design purposes at project level from the
designers’ point of view, whereas Lord and Lord’s process presents an overview of
museum programme planning rather than designing museum exhibitions. However,
none of these three models consider inter-disciplinary co-ordination and there is a lack
of inter-relationship between design tasks except in chronology. Although these three
design processes are concerned with planning museum programmes, they are not
specifically for museum exhibition design.
5. Planning framework proposals
This research sets out to develop a fresh approach to the planning of
multi-disciplinary museum exhibition design work. This study has developed into a
structured way to enhance inter-disciplinary museum exhibition design work. The
view taken by this research is that a design process provides the system necessary for
the identification of appropriate user needs and the realization of information
necessary to create product concepts (Pugh, 1991). Therefore, a particular design
process will be developed to identify the basic properties of roles for museum
exhibition design.
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The task of project planning is to set up a strategy for verifying that its objectives
have been met and identifying the client’s requirements in order to launch the project
and appoint an appropriate development team (Figure 5). In museum exhibition
design, practical development is through collaboration, involving architecture,
engineering, management, museology and product design. The museum exhibition
design process should identify, evaluate and specify these roles. In other words, the
purpose of museum exhibition design is to incorporate the wide range of disciplines
necessary to carry out curatorial and museological tasks.
Report
Report
Quantity
surveyors
Approval
Client
Approval
Report
Project
manager
Subject
specialists
Report
Contractors
Report
Report
Provision
Report
Provision
Designers
Provision
Figure 5: Museum exhibition development team
The design planning framework has three purposes (Lin, 2003):
• to describe the relationship of design services and activities performed by each
member of the development team.
• to demonstrate the relationship of design methods to project development.
• to present design information flowing between all project participants.
The museum exhibition design has been considered to comprise several services
which should include the activities associated with establishing the design objectives
such as ‘defining the client’s requirements’, ‘feasibility’, and ‘designer’s
specifications’. They may comprise a series of design stages through which individual
design decisions may be made. At an early stage of planning the project, all the
information to be communicated should be prepared, ideally as part of the brief which
should consist of all ideas, background data and statistics (Velarde, 2001). The design
services forms the basis of the exhibition outline proposal, scheme, criteria, design
approach and the specific requirements of the project.
6. Case study
In order to study the design activities in conjunction with planning approach for
museum exhibition aspect, a case study was carried out. Thinktank, the Birmingham
Museum of Science and Discovery (Discovery Center) is a new science museum,
which promotes the public understanding of science, technology and history. The
Discovery Centre Work Stage (DCWS) planning process, originally developed in
1998 by MET Studio design consultancy, is a prescriptive process for
multidisciplinary conceptual work in interior and exhibition design. The process is an
exhibition design framework for a specific science museum. It describes a detailed
conceptual framework for the development of ideal circulation, layout and key vistas,
rather than a guideline (MET Studio, 1998).
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The work guideline is a prescriptive design process presenting a conceptual
framework based on the nature of project practice in design, design management and
new product development. The DCWS consists of five stages: 1) concept brief, b)
concept design, c) detailed design d) implementation and e) completion. Each stage
represents a particular set of detailed work and responsibility (Figure 6).
Phase
(Stage A)
Concept Brief
(Stage B)
Concept Design
Process
Output
The employer's requirements.
Drawing and specifications.
Outline timetable cost analysis.
Development of exhibition purposes.
Concept design development.
Survey of cost analysis.
Working schedule & financial set out.
Preliminary definition & concept proposal.
Permission to proceed with the project.
Approval of concept design.
Development and approval of concept design.
Provision of written specifications.
Detail layout (mechanical and electrical).
Storyboards and layout of graphics.
Cost checks.
Design drawings approval.
Design completion.
(Stage D)
Implementation
Development of 'tendering purposes'.
Invitations to tender.
Monitoring, construction and installation.
Financial report.
Design change.
Preparing for construction.
(Stage E)
Completion
Issues of the certificates of practical
completion.
Monitoring the condition of all structures
and exhibits.
Monitoring the correction of defects.
Fulfilment of business objectives.
Issues of certificates of completion.
(Stage C)
Detailed Design
Figure 6: The Discovery Center project design process
6.1 Briefing
Briefing follows an investigation of the ways in which differing factors (e.g. strategy,
costs, and designers) can influence further activities in the design and development
stages (stage A). In particular, this part provides communication methods that enable
the project work specification to guide design concepts for the projects.
6.2 Development of design
This part consists of concept and detail design (stages B and C). The brief generated
the specification of designers’ responsibilities, employer’s requirements, timetable
and structural working outline. Further design phases can then proceed in the
development of conceptual and detail design work within the project criteria.
Cross-disciplinary work is defined that allows different disciplines’ tasks to be
interdependent. In addition, there is a responsibility for the provision of design
specifications, proposals and drawings by designers. This is to ensure project
information flows are under the management of the employer.
6.3 Production
This part consists of two phases: implementation and completion (stage D and E).
Generally, contractors and designers need to provide information for tendering
purposes. Design work and specification changes also need to be restructured into a
general solution for the entire problem. This part attempts to specify projects under
consideration and ultimately transfers the design concepts to real production among
the disciplines within the exhibition design team. The results of these features were
verified by practicing designers and project managers to form the data flow manual
for the design process.
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The objective of the DCWS process was to gain a clearer understanding of exhibition
design communication and to establish an integral and realistic approach to planning,
designing, and managing the project. Such a process maps the flow of communication
between tasks and disciplines in a prescriptive way so as to persuade and encourage
designers to achieve the project work (Lin, 2003).
7. Developing the planning framework museum exhibition design
7.1 Clarifying the criteria
In order to construct the planning framework, a set of components of design criteria
were representative of the conceptual phase of museum exhibition design. Extensive
discussions resulted in several solutions that were pertinent to the development of the
proposals. To improve the productivity of the design process as well as the quality of
design projects, the case study findings suggested consideration of the following
issues:
• to describe the relationship of design tasks and activities performed by each member
of the development team.
• to demonstrate the relationship of design methods to project development.
• to consider alternative models and the feasibility of the outcome.
• to present design information flowing between all members.
7.2 Planning the design process
As discussed in case study, it was suggested that one of key promotion of
inter-disciplinary design work was a way of the planning museum exhibition design
among the design process. It was also noted that the exhibition design needs to be
refined as a sequence of well-defined sub-activities, so that the inter-disciplinary
design process can be deal with. Such a sequence of sub-activities may be considered
as a basis for the common understanding of the members involved in the design
planning (Figure 7).
Museum exhibition
design
Design
planning
Design
services
Design
services
Design
services
Design
activities
Design
activities
Design
activities
Design
activities
Design
activities
Design
activities
Design
stage 1
Design
stage 2
Design
stage 3
Design
stage 4
Design
stage 5
Design
stage 6
Figure 7: A hierarchical structure of the planning work
9
To develop the design planning framework, several design services and design
activities were defined based upon the design property within the museum roles and
functions. Within the context of the planning phase of the design process, the design
stages should be also included in the activities associated with establishing the design
work such as concept development (Table 2).
Table 2: The planning phase of the design process
Context of the
scheme
Project planning
Feasibility study
Outline proposal
Design and
planning criteria
To explore appropriate and
possible characteristics in
order to launch the project
and brief development
participants.
To decide the elements of
the exhibition project and
involves collecting
information about them in
order to assess the
project's feasibility.
To bring together detailed
layout, design, and
production in order to
provide a genera guideline
for design development.
Participants
Design approach
Launch project and brief participants.
Client
Develop Project Plan and Project
Proposal in preparation for stage B.
Project manager
Project proposal
Project plan
Museum objectives.
Contribute specialist information to
Project Proposal in preparation for
Stage B.
Subject Specialists
Contribute information or project costs
to Project Proposal in preparation
for stage B.
Quantity surveyors
Decide on project feasibility.
Client
Report on feasibility of
project.
Project manager
Establish formal design
brief and report on
feasibility.
Designers
Report on exhibition
requirements and feasibility.
Subject Specialists
Report on economic
feasibility of project.
Quantity surveyors
Decide on alternative proposals.
Provide alternative proposals.
Provide alternative design proposals.
Provide alternative specialist
proposals.
Provide alternative financial
proposals.
Design
development
Production
To prepare the design
concept and decide on
specific proposals with the
respect to the design brief.
To provide sufficient
information on the
arrangement and assembly
of the detailed production
parts of the, to enable
manufacture and
construction to be
successful and the best
way of achieving the
desired result.
General cost plan
Project proposal
Project feasibility report
Strategic brief
Design cost estimate
Specialist service plan
Special feasibility report
Design feasibility report
Project plan
Alternative project
proposals.
Alternative design
Project manager
proposals.
Alternative specialist
proposals.
Designers
Alternative budget
proposals
Subject Specialists Project feasibility report
Design brief
Quantity surveyors Outline design proposal
Cost plan
Design brief
Client
Approve detailed design.
Client
Develop detailed proposals.
Project manager
Develop detailed design.
Designers
Develop details.
Subject Specialists
Develop detailed cost.
Quantity surveyors
Develop Production Specification.
Contractors
Complete production and
review and sign-off project.
Client
Complete project to launch
and review project.
Project manager
Complete project to meet
design objectives and
review project.
Designers
Advise on production
development and review
project.
Subject Specialists
Complete project to
approved budget and
review project.
Quantity surveyors
Outline design proposal
Design report
Design specification
Cost plan
Production specification
Expression of interest
Production specification
Cost plan
Design specification
Project review report
Design report
Production plan
Contractors
7.3 Formatting the planning framework
For all but the simplest of design tasks, the design process is not in simple linear form,
but feedback features in each design stage allow designers to work systematically
with other specialists. The framework therefore needs to emphasise criteria for the
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following stages: (1) project planning; (2) feasibility study; (3) outline proposal; (4)
design development and (5) production. An outline framework addresses the various
stages by effectively co-ordinating the transfer of information amongst different tasks
and disciplines (Figure 8).
Design development
Production development
Production
Appraisal from
previous requirements
Outline proposal
Analysis
Feasibility study
Synthesis
Project planning
Evaluation
Design
planning
task
Design
development
task
Production
management
task
Generating
ideas
Developing
concept
Design process
Identifying
problem
Curatorial
requirements
Exhibition
Figure 8: The design stage framework
This process framework has a number of properties. Its application in real practice is
more complex than any other design processes intended for this purpose. The
exhibition planning framework enables participants to understand the various
disciplines that are involved in the design project. In order to carry out the
inter-disciplinary co-ordination activities of the development team, process-users need
to focus on its application within their discipline, as well as the project. In the
framework, flow diagrams and textual descriptions were added to make it easier to
understand. Furthermore, the framework is more concerned with information links
and the relationships between participants that give rise to iteration and negotiation.
(1) Context of the scheme
Considering the museum exhibition functions, curatorial needs of the client and users,
the feasibility of the design process is assessed in terms of cost, technical practicality,
aesthetic expectations and exhibition functions.
(2) General outline of proposals
The project’s aims and objectives, which are often unclear at the beginning of the
design planning stage, are clarified. The project initial brief needs to be established
and evaluated to ensure it provides adequate documentation of the project
requirements.
(3) Design and planning criteria
The context of the design and planning criteria is established within the general
outline of proposals, which will be design services carrying out all design activities.
The design services related to this issue are the client’s requirements and museum
roles.
(4) Design approach
Design approaches are determined in terms of design activities, which concern design
stages within multi-disciplinary project participants in the exhibition design process.
The design approaches are to be carried out, including project proposal, cost plan,
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design brief, design specification, project review report and museum objective.
The framework provides an inter-disciplinary design function concerning different
aspects of museum exhibition roles, design criteria, curator’s requirements. This is a
systematic museum exhibition planning process which allows designers, curators and
other participants to cope with the co-ordination of multi-disciplinary design work.
The planning framework is comprised a series of design activities through which
inter-disciplinary design work may be completed. During the development of design
planning, the design stage can be considered to produce design solutions for a
particular museum exhibition design project (Figure 9).
Design services
(1) General outline of proposals
Participants
Client
Design activities
Design stage 03
(2) Design and planning criteria
Project
Manager
Designers
(3) Context of the scheme
(4) Design approach
Subject
Specialists
Quantity
Surveyors
Contribute specialist
information to Project
Proposal in preparation
for Stage B.
Contribute information or
project costs to Project
Proposal in preparation
for stage B.
01 Launch project and
brief participants.
Develop Project Plan and
Project Proposal in
preparation for stage B.
02 Decide on project
feasibility.
Report on feasibility
of project.
Establish formal
design brief and
report on feasibility.
Report on exhibition
requirements and
feasibility.
Report on economic
feasibility of project.
03
Decide on alternative
proposals in
preparation for stage 4.
Provide alternative
proposals in
preparation for stage 4.
Provide alternative
design proposals in
preparation for stage 4.
Provide alternative
specialist proposals in
preparation for stage 4.
Provide alternative
financial proposals in
preparation for stage 4.
04
Approve detailed
design for stage 5.
Develop detailed
proposal for stage 5.
Develop detailed
design for stage 5.
Develop details for
stage 5.
Develop detailed cost
for stage 5.
05
Complete production
and review and sign-off
project.
Complete project to
launch and review
project.
Complete project to
meet design objectives
and review project.
Advise on production
development and
review project.
Complete project to
approved budget and
review project.
Approve detailed
design
Develop detailed
proposal
Develop detailed
design
Develop details
Develop detailed cost
Advise on client
procedure for the
stage.
Review progress and
design
recommendations.
Review Outline Design
Proposal.
Carry out detail design
and present to project
team.
Present detail design
to project team for
final amendments.
Rev iew o f deta il desi gn
dra wings and a dvise
des igner of cha nges if
req uired. (Cura tors)
Work with curators on
detailed Design
Specifications .
Review detailed design
drawings and check
approvals.
Approve Design
Specification .
Prepare a detailed
Design Specification
including audio-visual,
visual image, site plan,
material, exhibit and
interactive
specifications as
appropriate and
present to project team.
Review Outline Design
Proposal.
Provide all subject
information to
designers as
necessary.
Review Outline
Design Proposal.
Co-operate with
designers to develop
cost-effective design.
Co-operate with
designers to develop
concept and detail of
exhibition content.
Continue to refine Cost
Plan, advise appropriate
participants of critical
elements.
Develop Cost Plan and
include production
cost plan.
Present Design Report
to client.
Discuss final design
with client and obtain
approvals.
Approve Design
Report and progress
to stage E.
Circulate Design
Report to participants.
Figure 9: A sample of design stage 3 of the planning framework
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Contractors
Develop Production
Specification for
Stage 5.
Develop Production
Specification for
Stage E.
8. Conclusions
This design planning framework has a number of properties. Its application in real
practice is more complex than any other design processes intended for this purpose.
The framework enables participants to understand the various disciplines that are
involved in the design project. It is constructed to develop a clear understanding of the
museum exhibition design process and determine: (a) the key activities performed by
each role; (b) the information flow between tasks at all levels; (c) the design team
needed to perform the process; (d) the design stages necessary for an efficient
approach to planning; and (e) the general forms of design output.
The museum exhibition design planning process represents design tasks and
information dependencies in a generic manner so that the process can utilized to:
˙aid designers in design concept development;
˙gain an appreciation of the complex interactions between members of the
exhibition design development team;
˙educate and inform designers about their individual design tasks by experiment;
˙educate other members of the project team about the pivotal nature of design; and
A well-structured method is a key factor in developing an efficient and systematic
process. The successful execution of multi-disciplinary design work requires
co-ordination to ensure all participants are constantly aware of the progressive status
of the project.
From the outset of the application to museum exhibition design projects, the planning
framework allows the project team to develop and put forward design concepts. It
considers many factors such as budget, user requirements, feasibility, and design
changes. Effective use of design information is a key feature of the planning to
improve the productivity of the design process and ensure the quality of the
exhibition.
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References:
Austin, S. et al. (1993) ‘Modeling Design Information in a Design and Build Environment’ in
proceedings of the ARCOM Conference, Oxford University Press, September.
Belcher, M. (1991) Exhibitions in Museums. Leicester: Leicester University Press.
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About the Author
Associated Professor Chung-Hung Lin, currently is the Head of the Department of
Commercial Design, Chienkuo Technology, Taiwan. He studied his master’s degree at
the Pratt Institute, New York which majored in Industrial Design from 1986-1988.
After 11 years, he attended the University of Central England in Birmingham, UK.
where he studied his Ph.D. degree. His doctoral dissertation developed a design
process for museum exhibition design. Before that, he has involved an exhibition
design project as a project coordinator of Taipei Astronomical Museum from
1993-1996. He has been teaching design course in university since1992.
Address: Department of Commercial Design
No.1, Chieh Shou N. Rd., Changhua City, Taiwan, ROC.
Tel: 886-4-7111124
Fax: 886-4-7111125
Email: chungung@ctu.edu.tw
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