Here’s a toast to the third post stimulated by my 2023 trip to Austria. It is a bit of a rag tag assortment of photos that illustrate several specific neat & nifty ideas that caught my eye and ear as they shouted/whispered to me interesting implications for interpretive design.
Missed Opportunities
There are so many missed opportunities to add an interpretive flair to a site, that we need to insert our interpretive influence more often. Surfaces need to be considered more as interpretive spaces. Exterior infrastructure components are often underutilized and usually boring due to a one-dimensional aspect. Because they are seen by many visitors they could be adding to the visitor experience.
Gateswing barrier Courtesy Bill Reynolds
Take the lowly parking or pedestrian access barrier – the image I snapped shows how a blank surface could have an interpretive application-in this case historic drawings of the garden you are about to enter. It is all about what you want reinforced in the visitor’s mind at that site juncture (see a previous blogpost titled Double duty design dream — EID Coaching illustrating the interior use of walls, doors, benches, etc.) Think about how you could use nearby boring infrastructure to add value to your site message and be integrated into your visitors’ experience
Passerby Enticement
This exterior infrastructure tactic could also act as an allure piece to get you to come inside by showing you a sample of what you might find there. This is exactly what the Caricature Museum did in the town of Krems an der Danau. They went beyond their own infrastructure and I am assuming used a partnering approach to get permission to use a fence on the opposite side of the street from the building entrance.
Image Courtesy Bill Reynolds
This is where they posted a facsimile of a selection of their pieces in art gallery format, to entice the passerby to glance and linger. You immediately knew that this would be a satirical place with social commentary that might be worth checking out if you were so inclined (just across the steeet). It was difficult for you to walk by on the street & not be aware of what the museum stood for. It would be intriguing to survey how effective this street “intervention” would be for bringing people to check out the facility, during opening & non-opening hours.
When was the last time you did any visitor survey to evaluate effectiveness of a new way of engaging your visitor?
Top It Off - Facial Power
When I find a good example of interpretive signage I want to do a dance of joy and I did one in the town of Durnstein. The look of the sign would have been unappealing if it had not been topped with a life-size two-dimensional cut-out portrait that commanded attention on the streetside. Many used vibrant colours -my chosen example used a more subtle palette of hues yet still effective. Each of the famous people being portrayed were positioned so they either stared directly at you so you were compelled to engage with them or they gave you a sideways glance like they were going to whisper something to you.
Image Courtesy Bill Reynolds
The text was written first-person style and captured your reading interest with a modern twist of phrase. There was a sense of immediacy employed - like this historical figure knew this could only be a brief encounter and that they wanted to pass on something of importance to you. With a little imagination, due to the clever combination of portrait and conversational tone, you got a sense that these people of the past were with you, for a moment.
Image Courtesy Bill Reynolds
Staged Set Impact
I discovered in short order that two- dimensional cut outs as a set can be very effective, especially when judiciously staged, in order to add a sense of life to a scene. This has a greater impact especially when you first encounter one and you are not expecting one.
We had been touring an abbey for a good 45 minutes listening attentively to our guide and viewing artifacts & exhibits, when we entered the stunning library – a grand display on its own bibliophilic expansiveness and architectural majesty. When what should appear but two time period dressed “characters,” seemingly having a conversation and a meal of sorts between friends??
Image Courtesy of Bill Reynolds
This “set” gave the appearance that we had interrupted something and I thought provided the guide a glorious opportunity to have a little fun and feign surprise upon the unexpected encounter. Based on the guide’s non-reaction and attempt to ignore the “set” by walking past it and providing no explanation, it was apparent that this was not part of her tour. Maybe it should not have been in the room and had been left over from a previous event?
In any case, this successful ability to liven up a gorgeous yet sterile room could have been a wonderful way to illustrate a happening in the library in the past. This staging would have really broken up the consistently didactic explanations that we had been exposed to up to this point. The positioning of this “set” was a little random and would have been better to be seen right as we all entered - this would have worked well with the feigning of surprise I suggested earlier.
It was apparent that many visitors were definitely wondering what this staged set was all about and were distracted. As an interpreter conducting a guided tour she broke the classic rule of not ignoring what obviously has captured the attention of the audience. Use distraction to your advantage and try to connect it back to your underlying message.
Plan for Visitor Participation & Look for the Story
Was this a reconstruction of a painting? Who were these two men? One is wearing an interesting head covering and neckpiece- what did that signify? Attention to detail for the food layout posed many inquiring questions. Allowing the audience to contribute possible captions for this moment caught in time would have meant some participation and most likely some laughs. Do you see the little dog? S/He really is little -is there a story there? This vignette is full of stories and had the potential to add so much spice and interpretive variety to a standard walk and talk tour. Unrealized ! Don’t let that happen.
Consider using the expertise of a stage set individual to create a vignette or moment in time for your facility, to add some participatory zest to your guided tour or self-guided experience. If you need assistance adding participatory elements to your visitor experience just get in touch - we would love to explore opportunities with you.
Standing Out
I have saved a particularly fun element to wrap-up with, that shows an imaginative treatment for a building known as the Bread Museum in the town of Asten. I make my own pizza dough and so when I saw the building for the first time I was ecstatic. I found the architect had wonderfully captured the essence of dough when it is rising and when you are kneading it, in the swirling aspect. It is a draw from a distance due to its different shape.
Bread Museum Image Courtesy Bill Reynolds
Most people inherit a building or trail setting and you aren’t able to mold what you want from scratch. However, what can you do to add a piece of curiosity to your existing building or interpretive trail starting point that adds flair or is attention worthy, on-theme, to draw prospective visitors in?
The design allowed for an interior spiral staircase that was beautiful . The pretzel shape was in keeping with the theme and Austrian baker guild symbol. Another example of form follows function.
Knead to Incorporate the Senses
The museum had a great selection of artifacts demonstrating the cultural importance of bread and its widespread global influence. What was missing were the sensory aspects - there was no smell of bread anywhere, there was no demo area or place to interact with dough, there was no place to grasp the process of breadmaking, and there was nowhere to purchase baked goods.
Time to review your interpretive offering and assess whether you have incorporated smell, touch, taste and sound. Without them your presentation falls flat, and won’t rise to the visitors’ delight. Without tasty revenue generators tied to your message you miss out on capturing the visitors’ dough (puns intended or should I say buns intended). Remember I started the blogpost with a toast… I hope you have enjoyed this continuing slice of Austriana (sorry, for those, just a reflection of the kind of spring sunshine mood I am in today).