British Galleries 1500 – 1900
24 SEPTEMBER 1999
TALKING ABOUT DESIGN: THE ST GEORGE’S CABINET
PROTOTYPING RESEARCH REPORT 9
Date of interviews : 15 September 1999
Brief for evaluation
The Museum wishes to investigate two issues relating to the category of Talking About Design
audio programme that use historical quotations.
• Whether visitors find historic language accessible.
• How the links between the quotations are best done.
Description of prototype and testing situation
The prototype Talking About Design audio programme concerned a cabinet painted by William
Morris on which is depicted the story of St George and the dragon. The script was produced inhouse as was the recording. The quotations and links were read by members of staff. This
necessarily means that the quality of the script, the reading and the sound were not as high as they
would be on a professionally produced audio programme.
The audio device was set up in front of the St George’s cabinet in the Best of British Gallery. On
pressing a button, the visitor could listen to a 2 minute and 37 second long audio programme about
changing attitudes towards the cabinet as exemplified by three commentaries dating from 1860,
1906 and 1999. The commentaries had a one sentence introduction and one sentence linking
passages. The device had two handsets which played at the same time so that two people could
listen together. Visitors were invited to use the audio device and were then interviewed seated on
small stools to one side of the device and in full view of the cabinet.
Visitors were asked ‘What were they talking about?’; ‘Did you realise that the commentaries were
from different periods?’; ‘Did you think that the tape flowed well?’; ‘Did the commentaries help
you to appreciate the piece of furniture?’; and ‘Could you pick out any of the figures or other
details mentioned in the talks?’.
British Galleries 1500 – 1900
Description of interview sample
14
Number of people
Male = 6
Gender
Female = 8
Under 25 yrs = 2
Age
25-34 yrs = 3
35-44 yrs = 3
45-54 yrs = 5
55 plus yrs = 1
Yes = 9
English as first
No = 5
language
Visitors were from UK (8), Germany (3) and one each from Australia, Japan and Singapore.
Six people were interviewed as couples.
Findings related to the brief
Whether visitors find historic language accessible
All visitors could pick out the figures or details mentioned in the commentaries so they must have
been following them with ease. Also, ten of the fourteen visitors said that the commentaries helped
them to appreciate the piece of furniture. Some of the four remaining visitors felt that they were not
helped to appreciate the furniture because the 1999 commentary mentioned William Morris’s
uncompromising early style without defining it. Clearly, the language of the earlier, historic
commentaries was no hindrance to the visitors.
How the links between the quotations are best done
The present introduction and links are:
1. ‘Attitudes to the St George’s cabinet by William Morris have changed over the years. Listen to
this review from The Building News on the International Exhibition held in London in 1862.’
2. ‘However, in this letter of 1906 to the V & A the recommendation was to buy the cabinet.’
3. ‘This is how Frances Collard, furniture Curator at the V & A views the cabinet now.’
Only ten of the fourteen visitors realised that the commentaries were from different time periods.
As this represents a potential one third failure rate, it is considered that the introduction and links
should be more emphatic in mentioning the passage of time.
British Galleries 1500 – 1900
Many visitors thought that the audio focused on the cabinet itself rather than changing attitudes
towards it (see visitors’ comments below). The introduction and the links need to signal that the
commentary which follows represents a differing point of view to the other two.
Issues raised by visitors / the evaluation
• The first commentary, which is very critical of the cabinet, is given in rather non-critical tones
which do not carry the negative attitude of the writer strongly enough. This makes it difficult for
visitors to detect changing attitudes as expressed in the next two commentaries.
• The audio tape does not flow well. Ten of the fourteen visitors mentioned long pauses between
speakers. The last speaker talks very quickly which makes it difficult to follow intended meanings,
especially for those who have language problems. The tape ends rather abruptly and could do with
a short final statement from the linking voice.
Visitor comments
What the tape was about
• The cabinet - the pictures. (3 comments)
• The cabinet and what the panels meant.
• The cabinet and how it was purchased and the description of the five paintings.
• The cabinet and how it was bought by the V & A because it is important in British history
because of William Morris.
• The cabinet - its history and the panels.
• The cabinet - it looks a lot older than it is.
• The cabinet (2 comments).
Specific references to attitudes within this category of response:
• The cabinet and changing attitudes to it.
• It was good the way it showed different attitudes. I thought it was a bit about the V&A deciding
to buy it. Was it? Is it worth something on its own or because the V&A own it. Is the tape about the
V&A problems on deciding to collect?
• I did not pick out the different times of the attitudes but the contrast between them all. The first
one focused on the middle panel.
• The overall concept of the tape (changing attitudes) is very interesting and worth bringing out
more.
• The subjectivity of a period / fashion needs to be stated more at the outset.
On appreciation
• It didn’t say what William Morris style was. He used some special word and it was not clear.
• It did mention that William Morris copied the Medieval.
British Galleries 1500 – 1900
• It needs an introduction about what he was all about. Why was he radical? What did he differ
from?
• (It helped me appreciate the cabinet) but not as much as I would like. It could have a bit more
about him and conservation.
• Interesting to know when it came to the V & A.
• (It didn’t help) because it said it was William Morris style but not what that was.
• I wanted to know a bit more about the thing itself and about William Morris.
Helpful suggestions
• It’s not loud enough - it needs a volume control.
• It’s not very fluid.
• There are a few pauses - it needs to be smoother.
• There are pauses between speakers. (2 comments)
• A few long pauses. The links were short.
• The end is too fast. There are gaps and pauses and the links are not good.
• Bits were too fast
• Be a bit more explicit about the time of the comments.
• Be a bit more distinct about the time periods.
• It was a bit like cold water - the introduction. It took a while to hear what it was all about.
• I would have prefaced it with more about time, attitudes and change.
Evaluator’s recommendations
Recommendations for this particular device
• The introduction and linking passages should be revised.
• Perhaps the introduction could be along the lines of : ‘Attitudes to the St George’s cabinet by
William Morris have changed over the last hundred and thirty years [OR over the hundred and
thirty years since it was made] as the three following commentaries show. The first is from The
Building News on the International Exhibition held in London in 1862.’
The first link could begin : ‘ Forty-four years later, Morris was famous and ...’
The second link could begin : ‘Today ...’
A possible closing line could be : ‘What do you think of the St George’s cabinet?’
Attention needs to be paid to the technical production of the audio with regard to pauses between
segments.
The content of the final section where the current curator talks should be reviewed.
British Galleries 1500 – 1900
Recommendations for other devices in the series
• Careful consideration needs to be given to the introduction and linking passages in this type of
audio as they are critical for overall flow and comprehensibility, as well as linking the extracts to
the related object(s).
• Historical language of the type used in the St George’s cabinet audio did not appear to present
any problems for visitors and so could be seen as a yardstick for other quotations being
considered for use in this audio series.
Actions
• The introduction, linking passages and final sentence will be revised.
• The content will be developed further.
• The programme will be produced professionally, as planned. This will eliminate the low
production values and editing problems.
• The Museum will consider testing another of the Talking about Art/Design audios in advance of
the others in the series, but professionally produced.