"Explore Oregon in the Making" was open from March 9 to December 29, 2012. This was a public testing phase for "Explore Oregon," a new natural history wing.
Local firm Presentation Design Group produced test panels and interactives. I primarily provided PDG with panel and label copy. I also proposed a subduction interactive which they developed.
I designed and installed the simple "workshop" environment to hold these test pieces. While some team members preferred a polished aesthetic, I pushed to follow Kathleen McLean's advice to keep it approachably unfinished.
As hoped, visitors got the message that they had entered a different kind of museum space, where the exhibit was unfinished and their input was critical to our collaborative success. We learned which elements worked and which needed help, while gaining community interest.
Ongoing evaluation led to reports for the team's science advisor and I to refer to while writing and refining final exhibit copy for "Explore Oregon."
Explore Oregon in the Making at UO MNCH
