Here in the ol’ NeoPangea Batcave, we know museum exhibits aren’t just dusty displays of artifacts. They’re portals to other worlds, windows into the past, and heady visions of the future.
They have the superpower to captivate curious minds, enrich understanding, and inspire transformation.
But crafting an immersive, soul-quaking experience never happens by accident. It’s all down to the art (and science) of exhibit design.
This wild mix of storytelling, engineering, artistry, and cutting-edge tech is blended together to create interactive narratives that ignite curiosity and electrify the senses.
In this guide, we’ll reveal the secrets behind effectively awesome museum exhibit design, dig into what makes it resonate, and showcase some of the most awe-inspiring examples we’ve seen (or even created ourselves). Ready to make some magic? Let’s go!
So, How Does Exhibit Design Work?
In a nutshell, it’s where storytelling rips free from the page and comes alive in three dimensions; and sometimes beyond. It’s the fantastical fusion of physical, digital, and hybrid elements, weaved into immersive experiences that find that oh-so-sweet spot between “aha” and “wow.”
Not to flex (well okay, maybe a little), but after over two decades in the game, we’ve got the process down to a science. And while it’s not technically patented (yet), it’s as close to alchemy as we can get.
It’s kickstarted with a wild and wide-eyed journey of discovery. Through some very fun collaborative Q&A sessions and creative workshops, we delve into your story. Who are you? What are you all about? What do you want your audience to feel?
Then we roll up our sleeves for a deep dive into your materials and budget, turning big dreams into bold, achievable realities. This is where the rubber meets the road, or in this case, the inspiration meets the strategy, and the real adventure begins.
With your vision locked, budgets greenlit, and initial concepts sparking all kinds of giddy excitement, we get to work. And it starts by carefully mapping the visitor journey to the educational goals of each space, ensuring every single step of the experience is thoughtfully designed to captivate, engage, and tell a story. This is the concrete foundation that aligns our vision with how your audience will interact with the space, setting the stage for a seamless narrative.
Next, our tech wizards conduct a feasibility check, validating what's possible and ensuring those pesky timelines stay on track. With that groundwork in place, we move into previsualization, which includes creating concept drawings, selecting materials, and refining the space.
Then comes the design phase, where our team’s creativity takes center stage. We fine-tune every detail: the visuals, sounds, and personalities of the experience. Whether it’s the narrator’s tone of voice (or actual voice itself) or the role your visitors play, we craft a world where every element tells a cohesive story.
As this vital vision solidifies, we transition to technical details. This involves producing construction drawings, fabricating the space, and collaborating with A/V vendors to integrate and discreetly hide hardware seamlessly.
Finally, it’s time to make all that magic as real as possible. During the development phase, we meticulously build, test, and install every element with precision, bringing the immersive experience to life.
Our ridiculously rigorous testing (seriously, we really drill down to the details) ensures that everything works flawlessly; not just during installation, but every step of the way, so your audience gets the immersive, awe-inspiring, experience they deserve.
What Makes for Effective Exhibit Design?
We’ve fine-tuned our exhibit design process into a near-science. “But,” we hear you whisper, “what’s the driving philosophy? What’s the secret to creating exhibits that don’t just engage but leave a lasting impact?”
Well, it starts with clarity. A crystal-clear vision of the story your want to tell, the audience you want to captivate, and the takeaway you want them to carry with them for years, if not decades. These are your North Stars, illuminating every step of the journey.
To ensure that vision resonates powerfully, we usually recommend crafting detailed visitor personas. By reverse-engineering tailored experiences for each one, we create parallel journeys that speak directly to your audience’s interests, needs, and curiosities.
But what about the build? What transforms a concept into a fully realized, immersive world? The secret sauce lies in the seamless blending of sensory engagement with interactivity and storytelling.
Every element, from the tactile and tangible to the digital and dynamic, is meticulously crafted to pull visitors into the narrative, making them not just spectators but living, breathing participants in the story.
At the same time, balance is key. While technology is a fun way to dazzle your visitors, don’t focus on it to the detriment of other aspects. Make it invisible to the audience. Don’t reveal the man behind the curtain.
Basically, designing an exhibit is like conducting a symphony. A big one. The audio, visuals, interactivity, and narrative elements should complement each other, working harmoniously to create one sight, one sound, and one amazing performance.
Care For a Sample? Some Exhibit Design Examples
1. Becoming Jane
Produced in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and National Geographic, the "Becoming Jane" exhibit captures Dr. Jane Goodall’s remarkable, long-term study of chimpanzees; humankind’s closest living relatives.
While National Geographic provided many of the physical elements, we designed the media, highlighting Dr. Goodall’s notes with holograms, mapping out deforestation data, and promoting environmental awareness with the interactive Tree of Hope.
Visitors who are emotionally moved by the exhibit can make a pledge, which adds their name as a leaf to the Tree. It becomes increasingly lush with each pledge, demonstrating that even small efforts can drive meaningful environmental change when we all work together.
2. Harry Potter: The Exhibition
We teamed up with Imagine Exhibitions and Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment to craft the dazzling media within “Harry Potter: The Exhibition,” a heartfelt celebration of the beloved franchise.
With enchanting visuals powered by cutting-edge tech, and featuring actual props from the movies, every element of the exhibit is designed to immerse the audience in the Wizarding World like never before.
Visitors can track their journey on a Marauder’s Map display, step into iconic moments like the Battle of Hogwarts, and live their dreams of crafting a Felix Felicis potion or choosing a Patronus.
“Harry Potter: The Exhibition” is a stellar demonstration of technology and storytelling coming together to create myriad magical moments (pun definitely intended).
3. Discovering King Tut’s Tomb
“Discovering King Tut’s Tomb” is an exhibit that shatters reality, showcasing the famous archaeological treasures from the lost tomb of Tutankhamun.
Together with Imagine Exhibitions, we created a rich multimedia experience that guides visitors through the story of Howard Carter’s century-old discovery, giving context to the items on display and evoking the proper sense of reverence.
An audio tour based on Howard Carter’s journals and letters leads guests through the exhibit, and animations explain more about the tomb and its contents.
All the while, cinematic scoring that would make Hans Zimmer envious cultivates an atmosphere of grandeur and mystery.
4. Nefrina: A Living Hologram
For a truly multidisciplinary exhibit, look no further than Nefrina, a walking, talking hologram of an ancient Egyptian priestess we created for Reading Public Museum.
It required collaboration with museum experts, an Egyptologist, and a construction company (imagine those three walking into a bar). We created a life-sized, 3D image of Nefrina based on forensic reconstructions of the mummy’s appearance.
Not only does the hologram talk to visitors about Nefrina’s life, giving the impression of a first-hand account, but it also explains the history of artifacts from the exhibit, encouraging visitors to explore and engage.
Nefrina was a unique challenge. To get it right, we pre-visualized the exhibit in augmented reality, analyzed Nefrina’s CT scans on a special 3D table, and built an incredibly intricate physical model to ensure we captured the tiniest details.
But it was worth it. Nefrina is a testament to modern technology’s ability to dazzle audiences and get them excited about the wonders museums have to offer.
Let’s Realize Your Exhibit Design Dreams
This is what we do. We live and breathe it, and we specialize in transforming your wildest ideas into mind-blowing exhibits. With an eclectic team of experts, cutting-edge tech, and over 20 years of design experience, NeoPangea knows how to craft something truly unforgettable for your audience.
Whether you’re looking for holograms, interactive multimedia presentations, or something totally unprecedented, we’ll turn your vision into an exhibit for the ages.
Ready to get started? Give us a call. Or an email. Or a text. Really, we’re not picky. Just give us some kind of heads-up before you swing by the secret lair so we can disable the laser shields.