Exhibit Makeovers

Book excerpt: Since its publication in 2008, Exhibit Makeovers has been a useful do-it-yourself handbook for museum staff and volunteers. Exhibit Makeovers is a workbook that provides grounding in interpretive principles, how-to-advice, step-by-step guidance, and moral support for in-house exhibit planning and design. The revised and expanded 2nd edition preserves the supportive tone and easy-to-follow steps that make the original Exhibit Makeovers so user-friendly. Significant revisions—especially in the technology arena—and additions make this new edition a must-have addition to any museum’s toolkit: • New emphasis on visitor input, with step-by-step guidelines for evaluation studies during planning and design. • New text and worksheets to guide development of interactives, and ensure varied levels of visitor participation. • Focus on affordable software to help with exhibit planning and design, as well as low- cost technologies that can vary and deepen the visitor experience. • Brand-new chapters on exhibit design, production, and installation, written by the experienced team responsible for in-house exhibits at a thriving, mid-size museum. Following the same pattern as the 2008 original, the revised Exhibit Makeovers guides users through step-by-step processes of a single-case makeover, development of a new exhibit, and renovation/renewal of an entire gallery or museum.