Keeping It Simple

We've all heard of the K.I.S.S. method - keeping it simple is so basic and so straightforward that more often than not, people ignore it.    This is true of museums in many ways.   We are always looking to add more, do more, serve more, reach more and teach more, that sometimes we forget to say 'no!'   We overwhelm ourselves with projects, programs, initiatives, partnerships, collaborations, exhibits, special events and on and on...When was the last time you thought about what it means for your site to 'just keep it simple?'...to focus more on quality, not quantity; to focus on what you do really well, rather than doing it all; on serving a few core audiences rather than everyone?     On a recent project, a colleague remarked how the path we followed to completion was so effective, yet so simple, that she was amazed, yet delighted.  
Even AAM, in its Application Tips from Museums Connect staff, lists 'Keep it Simple' as one of their key suggestions.   "We often prefer projects that are simple, focused and achievable over those that promise more than seems realistic in a one year period.   We recommend that you focus your project on one primary community group (e.g. 25 high school students in each country) and allow others (e.g. teachers, public participants, museum educators) to play clearly defined supporting roles.   Having a smaller group of initial community partners who are involved consistently over the course of the project can also make long-term evaluation and sustainability more practical than trying to work with a cast of ever-changing characters.     That says it all.