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Martin --

"Optimum" means "best or most favorable," clearly a subjective term.  So, no
surprise that different people will have different opinions.  There is an
inherent trade-off between reach and effect -- you can talk to one person
very powerfully, very directly; or you can talk to a million people very
broadly, very impersonally.  Which is better?  Arguments can be made either way.

However, in my studies of communication in many forms (writing, advertising,
TV, radio, etc.), I found that the very first thing every professional tells
you is: know your audience.  Define them, as clearly and as precisely as
possible.  Communicate to them, and only them, and you will be more
effective than if you take a scatter-shot approach.

(Taken to an extreme, for maximum effectiveness the ideal target audience
is, literally, one: a single person whom you know very, very well!)

Museums, of course, are often pulled in the opposite direction.  We traffic
in the common cultural and intellectual heritage of our society, which
should be available to all.  We believe in the importance of our subject
matter, and want to deliver it to everybody.  And many of us receive public
funding in one form or another, and thus feel an obligation to serve all
audiences.

All very true, all very important.  But also, all working aainst the
fundamental tenet of good communication.  Just as a good exhibit has a
single message -- it says one thing well rather than a dozen things poorly
-- it also needs a single target, communicating effectively to one audience
rather than ineffectively to several.

Your mileage may vary.  ;-)

-- Eugene Dillenburg
Exhibit Developer
Science Museum of Minnesota
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On Wed, 18 May 2005 10:56:06 -0400, martin weiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:


>*****************************************************************************
>
> One way we've attempted to solve the dilemma, in an
>exhibition on microorganisms for our school and family audience
>(actually Beverly Serrell was the writer), Lisa refers to is to write
>labels at a level for the reading public (say 12 years old) with one
>idea that parents can understand well enough to impart to their
>children. And to test them. One example, of an experience (and I am
>certain we all have them) I overheard might suffice to illustrate
>what we should try and avoid. In an exhibition about genetics an
>adult (mother?) and child came upon a label with the word DNA
>highlighted in yellow (the label was red background) and occurring
>large number of times through out the two or three paragraphs. The
>mother repeated to the child (9 or 11 yo?), several times, "See, its
>about DNA!, See, its about DNA!" The child wandered off after hearing
>this and the mother was left to follow. Yes, the text was about DNA
>but it did not offer a way for the mother to explain what about DNA
>and engage the child in a conversation. Agreed this is a sample of
>one, and I am not sure I'd want labels from my exhibitions to be
>discussed so openly (therefore the anonymity) but it illustrates
>several points about how to reach your audience. Who is it, and it
>certainly is more than one Gene, and how to help them get the
>message. Yes, there are also design issues (highlighting words
>against a colored background may not be best practice) but I guess my
>point is labels need to help the visitor get the message and that is
>not always easy. Fewer words often work best and written so parents
>(adults) can children understand.
>
>Evaluation of our universal design audio tours also have demonstrated
>increased understanding among visitors with normal as well as
>impaired vision.
>
>
>Martin

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