Virtual Museum Fieldwork

I’m planning to design an interactive kiosk that could be placed in a museum. To prepare for this, I would have liked to visit an actual museum and check out their exhibits for inspiration, but the next best thing in this plague-ridden present was to use the virtual reality museum views provided by Google Arts and Culture.

Virtual Exhibits

I enjoyed virtually exploring the Natural History Museum in London.The space is very large and interesting, although it was hard to get up close and read specific information. The architecture and interior design were varied and beautiful.

I noticed many interactive kiosks. Obviously I was not able to actually use them, and even the still images of them were overexposed and difficult to observe. However, if I were actually visiting, I would definitely want to try some of them out.

I noticed that they were usually located alongside the physical representations of their subject matter.

Information in the exhibits also tended to be very spaced out, perhaps to accommodate a large number of guests.

This virtual format definitely has its limitations. For example, I really wish I could go up the stairs to see the inside of this neon-lit sculpture.

I also often had trouble navigating to the next spot I wanted to look at, and occasionally during this struggle I would unexpectedly phase through walls.

However, the ability to zoom in and out was useful.

Typography

I noticed that there tended to be more sans serif type than serif in these museums.

The displays would use different but similar styles of type to differentiate sections, like this sign for a 3rd class train car that uses a mix of thin, medium, and bold typefaces. I particularly like the way this approach looks.

I also noticed that paragraphs of text would often be surrounded by plenty of negative space. I believe this is so information wouldn’t become cluttered and confusing.

It’s also easier to tell what text and images are associated with each other when they are close together, and spaced away from things they aren’t as closely related to, like on this display in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

Physical Space

This display on human evolution feels very cool and somewhat disconnected from its subject matter.

I believe the designers included the long, intersecting lines to symbolize the connections between different species throughout time.

The dark, geometric space with areas of bright light feels inorganic, in contrast to the skulls and stone tools on display.

This exhibit on airplanes in the Smithsonian takes a very different approach. It feels very open and airy, with some of the planes suspended in the air as if they are flying, and others posed next to cut-out standees of their pilots.

The different colors make me feel eager to learn. I wonder if this exhibit was designed with children in mind, since it feels a lot more fun and whimsical than the human evolution room.

Learning something

The National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo Da Vinci offers an online tour of its rail building, which I chose to read because I have developed an interest in trains lately.

The online exhibit is available in English, thankfully, since I cannot read Italian.

I learned that the first AC electric locomotive was made in 1900, and was used in the Simplon Tunnel since it did not produce fumes like a steam locomotive.

The 3rd class car that I showed off earlier was apparently able to travel at 70 kilometers per hour (about 43 mph), although in 1883 when it was built, very few engines or railways were capable of such speeds.

Overall, I enjoyed being able to experience aspects of various museums that I cannot visit in person right now. What I found most helpful were the exhibits that provided close-up views of signage and kiosks, since I can use them to learn what my own kiosk could look like. The interactivity aspect is still lacking, but I’m curious to see if more features will be added to virtual museums like these in the future.