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Exhibit graphics should be where they need to be.  If you have
instructional graphics that are somewhere up above the actual buttons,
knobs or levers then that just doesn't work. If my eye has to swing too
many degrees away from what I am interested in to learn it's name or
read about it then it will not happen.  Designers have a bad habit of
trying to enforce a consistancy on exhibits that is often lost or even
useless to everyone but other designers (takes one to know one.)  It's
been my experience that the best graphics are directly adjacent to what
they describe or inform, and at whatever height that might be.  The
various ergonomically correct heights for various ages, genders and
conditions are quite useful as a starting point and you certainly do not
want stuff way too high or far below.  If you have given all of your
exhibits a name or title or designated areas or zones by themes it can
be good to have all of those "headers" at a consistant height so that
visitors can find things easily but when it comes to instructional or
contextual text think first about where you would want to find it when
using or viewing the exhibit. 

Good graphics, instructions and contextual text is developed carefully
and clearly and should involve lots of drafts, edits, and reviews by
others. In graphics and text "less is DEFINITELY more."  Think of a
great play or movie you have seen that was described as having only the
dialogue that was required and no fluff.  We should have David Mamet as
our copywriter! If you have the luxury of being able to "prototype" the
graphics and get some visitor feedback then do it, but all to often we
need to nail it down for fabrication, especially if it is being produced
in some relativley expensive format, and can not easily go back and do
it over.  Never short change the writing and graphic development part of
exhibit development.  Iv'e been there and regreted it.

Erich Rose
Exhibit Manager
Austin Children's Museum
201 Colorado Street
Austin, TX 78701
512-472-2499 ext 207

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