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>Bravo, Bob. I am in total agreement with you. "Minds-on" as a phrase
>trivializes what we are talking about. Peter Dow

OK lets argue :-)

I disagree. "Hands-on" isn't enough as a design brief or performance
specification. "Hands-on isn't an instant recipe for success. This is an
important quality control issue for managers of large projects, responsible
for exhibit procurement. An exhibit can be fully hands-on, visually
impressive, on-schedule and within-budget, but still not have the essential
MAGIC to capture and hold people's attention, stimulate speculation,
exploration and discussion, touch peoples emotions and change their
attitudes. I'm seeing so much glossy, mediocre stuff lately.

Plenty of purely "hands-on" exhibits fail to generate word-of-mouth
recommendation and repeat-visits. The missing MAGIC may be hard to define,
but the commercial success or failure of a project can hinge on it.

In large, complex projects, any aspect of quality control a project manager
or a committee can't define and pin down with a checklist is often squeezed
out between shrinking timescales and budgets. MAGIC is just about the most
important quality of a successful science centre. Anything that helps a
grey-faced committee to get a handle on it is valuable beyond price!

"Hands-on" engages the hands. That's great, as far as it goes.

"Minds-on" engages the mind. Better, because engaged visitors don't run
around making a noise. They can be observed thinking, collaborating,
discussing and experimenting. Observed. It's measurable. Practical. For
quality control purposes, a box can be ticked for that exhibit component. A
project managers dream. If it isn't up to specification, somebody has to
redesign or rebuild it.

"Hearts-on" engages the emotions. Better again, because now people walk
away feeling more positive about the subject of the exhibition, and more
positive about the exhibition itself. The commercial bottom line can be
word-of-mouth recommendation and repeat-visits, remember. A bit harder to
pin down for quality-control purposes in a new project, but not impossible.

This is so important!

Hands-on, minds-on, hearts-on.

[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
*
People forget what you said, people forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.
*
Ian Russell

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