Behind The History

I’ve been visiting the Denver Museum of Nature & Science since I was a kid. I was probably around the age of 7 or 8 when I first went, and I’ve been going there either for school field trips, or just on day trips with the family ever since. So when I found out I would be going back for a field trip in graduate school, I was pumped, to say the least. I always wondered what went on behind the scenes at the museum. But never really knew how, or whom to ask. Then I found out that I would be going there to talk with the people who actually design the exhibits.

I was genuinely curious about who was doing what, and why. I wanted to know how many team members were involved in the process of creating a new exhibit from start to end, and what exactly each of them did. And when I finally got the opportunity to learn, I wasn’t disappointed; in fact I was actually surprised by how many different people had a hand in the process.

After a quick walkthrough of some of the older exhibits, we were taken down into the basement to meet the team. And to be honest, I was a little bit caught off guard. One minute, we were in the basement looking at a super long passageway, and a gigantic freight elevator; then the next thing I knew, we were in a poorly lit maze of cubicles, which happened to be their offices. To say I was surprised to learn this is where all of the museums designers worked would be an understatement. I remember asking myself: how are they expected to produce beautiful work in such a dark and dreary atmosphere?

Once my initial malaise wore off, I was able to understand and appreciate the process better. I never realized that these new modern teams building and creating all of the exhibits consisted of designers, content strategists, producers, and project managers. We also learned that these teams used to be much larger and more intricate, but with advancing technologies more elements were able to be outsourced, simplifying the process.

I was most impressed with the museum's overall approach toward technology. One would think that a museum would keep a relatively low technological profile. That they would avoid a gimmicky approach in order to foster knowledge and understanding; but instead I was seeing fun, interactive tech all throughout the museum. They were able to blend features in smoothly with older exhibits, while also adding interactive elements to new exhibits.

All in all, I was very impressed with the museum and all that it had to offer. I had a little bit of anxiety for the designers that had to spend so much time in that basement at first, but ultimately they seemed happy, and they were certainly capable in their work. I just hope that in the future museums in general will able to stay relevant with the ever-changing technological landscape we find ourselves in.