We don’t look beyond ourselves and our field enough.
Recently, while on a conference call with a design firm and
several museum professionals, we were reviewing sample layouts for a web based
museum activity. The conversation was
strong and though the layout still needed user feedback and a bit more
tweaking, our homework had been well done.
We had looked at other web sites for ideas and direction. But not just museum sites – sites of all
types, shapes and varieties – preschools, publishers, zoos, libraries, you name
it. It allowed us to explore a range
of options and apply the best practices.
It opened our eyes to the larger world out there. It helped us to do our jobs well and it made
me think – we’ve come a long way.
Several years ago I presented at a workshop where I proposed
that museum staff look to several for profit industries for ideas and latest
trends in evaluation. Some of the
industries recommended included high tech, entertainment and retail. Participants were enlightened, if not a bit
surprised. At the lunch break,
several commented that they had never done this and it was a practice they
needed to consider more often.
Just a few days ago an event listing passed my desk. The topic was customer/visitor service and
the core message was that they would be ‘looking to other fields’ to inform the
content of the event. You’ve got to do it to stay fresh, stay
relevant and apply big ideas.
Sometimes it gets you a bit off track, but as museum professionals, we
know how to pull ourselves back, and the journey will have opened our eyes.