What Makes Learning Fun?: Principles for the Design of Intrinsically Motivating Museum Exhibits

by Deborah L. Perry

Although much has been written in recent years on what museum visitors actually experience, there is little research-backed guidance available for developing meaningful exhibits and programs for specific educational purposes. Deborah Perry looks at what we know about the experiences of people in museums and other informal learning settings, and then shares a set of tested principles and strategies—known as the Selinda Model—for the design of effective museum exhibits. Along the way, she showcases examples of both effective and ineffective exhibit designs drawn from two decades of work in the field.

Genres: Museums

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Doria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very useful and important book for museum folks, particularly those involved with designing and creating exhibits. It's pretty dry, but very thorough and well-organized, with useful appendices and bibliography at the end. I like the visitor-centered focus, and the many examples and test cases cited, to illustrate ways that various museums have successfully utilized the principles and concepts laid out here.

[Blair Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book as a guide for how to design experiences in general, not just museum exhibits. I wasn’t as focused on the museum parts but more on how to create a self guided experience that is rewarding for a participant. I appreciated the thoughtful framework and the academic rigor behind it, not just anecdotal info. I think a lot of the topics can be broadly applied to a range of professional applications, definitely worth checking out.

[karen templin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has quite a bit of good advice for museum professionals who are designing exhibits. Focuses on one particular model for design, but since it is a fairly thorough and holistic model, not necessarily a bad thing. Had a little less to offer to living history museum outdoor exhibits that have staff, since this focused a lot on successful self-use interactives in a more traditional gallery experience, but still a valuable read.