Developing museum and exhibition design through practice-centred study and application of narrative theory and film

This research sets out to better understand and develop narrative in the design of narrative experiences in museum and exhibitions drawing on theories and knowledge of narrative structures in fiction films. Although there is emerging literature on the general role of narrative in the context of museum exhibitions, little has been written about refining design processes for contemporary narrative exhibition experiences. I address this gap from two distinct vantage points.

Firstly, how could and should theoretical and structural understandings of narrative drawn from the study of fiction films be used to inform the design task? Through analysing and diagramming the sequencing, rhythm, and timing as well as action performed by the protagonists in specific examples of fiction films, I draw comparisons to the productive possibilities of narrative structures within exhibitions. Secondly, by thinking deeply about possible disjunctions between narrative as imagined by the design team and narrative experienced by the visitors, how might the outcomes of narrative-oriented design decisions be usefully assessed and this knowledge fed back into future design tasks? A central part of the methodology is a piece of visitor research where the experiences of real visitors were tracked with wearable cameras.

An understanding of narrative in film can enable the designer to identify key thresholds and moments of decision in the embodied, temporal structure of the museum visit. Probing deeper into the workings of narrative the process of diagramming action in film evolved into an approach to identify action in exhibition content and investigate design methodologies to make it accessible for the visitor. Also engaging with visitors on site revealed how design should create spaces for everyday moments with an awareness of the visitor’s open interpretive possibilities. A practical outcome of the work is a narrative design toolbox for designers and museum professionals, enabling and encouraging the development of new approaches for museum and exhibition design practice.