An important way to pace the experience is with your graphic design, WHICH MUST BE STREAMLINED.


“On a panel or a block of text, you don’t want the line length too long,” points out Doug Nickrent, a senior exhibit designer at PGAV. “You don’t want to confuse them with so much on a wall that they can’t organize their participation. With fewer words and more images, you can advance a story without bogging visitors down in too much work. Tere’s a big difference between participation and work.”


Audio’s another important tool: “It sets a rhythm for the experience,” Nickrent says. “If you want to tell a slowly unfolding, emotional story, you’ll use different sound cues than if you’re building fast to a dramatic climax. Audio’s not just music; it can be the pacing of the narration, the narrator’s voice, and the sound effects.” Designers look for beats, moments when a visitor might naturally notice something, and amplify those moments, using them to reinforce the message and make sure it registers.


You also need physical breaks—spaces where someone can pause and rest, look over her shoulder or into the distance, absorb the experience. But don’t let the pace lag overall. Writer Brenda Ueland says, “Te secret of being interesting is to move along as fast as the mind of the reader (or listener) can take it in. Both must march along in the same tempo.”


CHAPTER FOUR 53


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