Response to Hanna on exhibition design from the designers perspective- Prof
M P Ranjan

NID  has over the years handled many professional exhibition design projects
ever since it was set up in 1961. The very first major project was the Nehru
Exhibition on the life and work of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime
Minister, designed by Charles and Ray Eames and executed by NID faculty,
staff and students using inhouse facilities of our workshops and photography
labs. This set the quality benchmark for the exhibitions that followed in
the later years and there was much learning and internal debate about
treatment, effectiveness and ofcourse about costs and delivery schedules.

Nehru exhibition was designed to travel all over the world and it did just
that. Each time an NID team of faculty and staff travelled to the location
and set it up in the usual impossible deadline but without sacrificing
quality standards set up by the Eamses. The exhibit was built three times
after the existing copies started showing signs of wear and tear from the
extensive travels overseas. In 1972 a fresh copy was prepared at NID for
installation at the World Fair in New Delhi in November and I was fortunate
to be on the design and execution team and in the process understand the
detailing and content of the exhibit through very close involvement. I was
therefore invited to be part of the three member team that travelled to
Chile in January 1973 to help renovate and set up an earlier copy that had
previously travelled to Japan, Australia and was then shipped to Chile. The
task had to be accomplished in two weeks since the exhibition was scheduled
to be inaugurated by President Salvadore Alende on the 26th of January 1973.
Meeting the President after the ceremony was memorable and the shock impact
of his assassination on 11 September 1973 has had a lasting impression on me
since we discovered the work of Stafford Beer in Chile and of Gui Bonsiepe’s
work as well soon after the turn of these events.

Understanding the role of multiple disciplines that collaborate to deliver
complex and competent exhibitions and the systems nature of all design tasks
came hand in hand with the learning about design in a developing country.
Since this particular experience NID has undertaken many major exhibitions
that drew on the expertise available inhouse and on the large network of
specialist consultants and contractors who worked with the Institute. The
expertise included professional photographers, typographers, graphic
designers, copy writers and editors, model makers and special effects
experts to name only a few. As these experiences were being accumulated by
the NID teams some of us also expressed our dissatisfaction about the
absence of an articulated sharing of these experiences but very little was
recorded or disseminated by way of knowledge sharing or documentation. The
end results were always very well photographed and the panels captured as
facsimile pictures but the process and excitement of solving complex
communications in the form of compelling exhibits remained as folklore that
was discussed by the players involved and new students who came into one of
our fresh projects that needed to draw on previous knowledge at the
Institute.

This was not unique to exhibition design but extended to all
design disciplines uniformally in a complete neglect of publication about
the experience of designing with very few exceptions. The many major
projects done at NID included the World is My Family 1970,  the Texrtile
Pavillion 1972, Our India Pavillion 1972,  Agri-Expo 77, Manipur Pavillion
1981, Energy Pavillion 1983, My Land My People 1986, Discovery of India
1992, the Rta- Rtu Exhibition 1996 and the ongoing Khalsa Heritage Museum
project which is the biggest permanent exhibit undertaken by the Institute
to date.

There was a major professional effort made in 1978 to study and measure the
impact of the massive  Agri – Expo experience in the form of user and viewer
and audience studies which was conducted by external teams of market survey
professionals who used methodologies for evaluating recall of Indian
advertising in the media to the exhibition that was designed and set up in
Delhi. This data is available in our library but I am not sure if this was
really useful to the designers in either their strategy for subsequent
exhibitions and in determining and particular approaches to design of these
exhibitions. The knowledge otherwise remained in the folklore that was
retold many times at meetings when individual experiences were shared
through presentations and discussions and the sparse documentation that was
left behind by all these projects. However the discipline of exhibition
design was re-established after a break of several years and it has been an
active and much sought after discipline as far as the students were
concerned. Pictorial documents of all the major exhibitions are available at
the NID library along with the full text of all the panels used in the
exhibition. Process notes and letter based communications must be available
in the office records that are maintained in the archieves of the Institute.

So the very big question is how can all this experience be converted into
knowledge resources that can inform future projects and build knowledge
resources that can be used for education and development initiatives at the
Institute? How can this kind of research be applied to all the work at the
Institute in a sustained manner?

In 1986 the Crafts Council of India organised an International workshop on
the Role of Crafts Museums and the participants included curators, art
historians, art collectors, specialists in museum display, marketing
experts, sociologists, craftsmen and designers. I used this opportunity to
try and articulate the NID experience and offered to present a paper that
was accepted . This paper was published in the proceedings of the workshop
titled “Crafts India ’86: Workshop on Crafts Museums” conducted at New
Delhi. I am quoting the text of the paper below for immediate reference
since it will not be available from any source now. I look forward to
comments and suggestions about how designers and design professionals can
sustain the much needed documentation and articulation on which the
profession applications can be based on established good practices leading
to high quality implementation of all domain specific projects and activity

With warm regards

Prof M P Ranjan
From my office at NID
20 January 2004 at 2.00 am IST

Quote

Cost Effective Displays – The NID Experience

M P Ranjan
Faculty of Industrial Design
National Institute of Design
Ahmedabad, India

Paper prepared and presented at Crafts India ’86, a workshop on Crafts
Museums, New Delhi, October 1986 and subsequently published in “Crafts India
’86: Papers Presented at the Workshop on Crafts Museums”, Crafts Council of
India, New Delhi, 1986 - pp 125 - 129

My presentation on design and display techniques for museums is based
entirely on the considerable body of knowledge built up at the National
Institute of Design (NID) in the area of exhibition design. Over the past 25
years, designers at NID have had the opportunity to work on a large number
of exhibition projects, both as professional consultancy assignments as well
as student-level projects. These exhibitions include temporary and permanent
ones covering thematic, scientific, and cultural and trade topics. I am
convinced that much of this experience would be applicable to the design of
craft and other museums, especially in the context of the changing role of
museums in our times.

NID is a design school composed of two major faculties: the Faculty of
Industrial Design and the Faculty of Visual Communication. In many design
schools these disciplines are kept apart. However, we found that exhibition
projects offered the possibility of building cross-disciplinary bridges, as
the design of any exhibition is essentially a multi-disciplinary task.
Putting together an exhibition requires teamwork involving many disciplines,
many of which are drawn from outside the Institute as circumstances warrant.
This premise that design of exhibitions and the design of museums is a
multi-disciplinary task is an important one for curators and museum
administrators to keep in mind when planning new exhibits or museums.
Sometimes experts in subjects attempt to put together exhibitions
themselves, some may be able to do so effectively. I am of the view that the
involvement of professional designers working in close collaboration with
the subject experts is far more desirable although it may seem expensive
initially.

Demands made on museums and the public's perception of its role have
undergone dramatic changes. Traditionally, museums were seen as a repository
of rare and exquisite cultural, natural and historical artifacts primarily
concerned with conservation, classification and research tasks. However most
people would agree that today's museums should go beyond that role in
becoming a vehicle for communication and dissemination of information in an
interactive manner. Hence the added responsibility that the contemporary
view holds for a museum includes education, entertainment and community
service. Entertainment is important because it means involving the viewers
and educating them through a mode of interaction. Without this element of
interest it is impossible to communicate with viewers. Education too implies
something more than transmission of knowledge. It means raising questions in
the minds of viewers rather than providing all the answers in an absolute
manner.

Having established the premises on which we design exhibitions let me go on
to individual principles, devices and techniques used to make an exhibition
participatory and interesting to the viewer. These would of course have to
be used in an imaginative and creative manner, appropriate to the task at
hand, to be effective. Here I have attempted to abstract the principles from
the variety of exhibits and displays incorporated in a number of NID
exhibitions so that these could be used consciously to enhance the viewers
experience.

Interactive exhibits: Each key exhibit could be designed to induce the
visitor to participate in some way other than just looking at or reading
about the object or display. The visitors may be required to do something
with their hands or even feet in order to activate another dimension of the
display. A map of India displayed at the India Exhibit in the Commonwealth
Institute, London, required the visitors to press a set of electronic
switches in order to compare distances between Indian cities to cities in
Europe. This helped the British audience to appreciate the vast distances in
the Indian sub-continent when compared with familiar distances between
capitals of European nations. Another such ,device is a display of rare and
exotic musical instruments the sounds of which can be heard by activating a
tape recorder. It is not necessary that technologically sophisticated
displays be used, as simple devices could be equally effective while being
easier to maintain.

Spaces for interaction: Spaces around displays need to be planned in such a
way as to permit the museum and its displays to be used in a variety of
ways. It is particularly important to consider the activities that take
place when groups of visitors come in to use the museum as a teaching
resource. Both the Energy Exhibition a science museum at the Pragati Maidan
in New Delhi and the India Exhibit in London are used as classrooms by
teachers who want to use its resources. Hence fairly large spaces need to be
provided around exhibits along with strategically placed benches which
encourage the use of these spaces.

Display structures: Hardware used to display objects and information such as
photographs and text must be designed to suit specific needs. In many cases
it might be possible to use readily available hardware systems that are
versatile and inconspicuous. In other cases it may be necessary to design
hardware that would show up the object in the most favorable manner.
Sringar, which was a traveling exhibition of Indian costumes required
display cases and props that could be quickly dismantled and packaged in
minimum volume of transportation.  Similarly strong, light-weight and
flexible panel structures were required to permit the exhibition to be set
up in a variety of existing buildings, while still retaining its identity
and quality.

Graphic layouts: Some exhibits require the presentation of a considerable
amount of supplementary and explanatory information especially if these are
to be used as an educational aid. Here the graphic treatment of panels and
surfaces presenting the information demands both visual coherence of all its
components and the stimulation of the viewer to absorb the essentials in the
limited time available. This has to be achieved with an effective and
economic use of words and images. Invariably the same space has to serve
both the casual visitor as well as the serious learner. This necessitates
the presentation to be "readable" at several levels simultaneously. The
first level is a predominantly visual one that can be appreciated instantly
at a distance while subsequent levels elaborate appropriate details. Hence
the components need to be structured in a hierarchical manner both in terms
of their information content and their size in the layout. The components of
such informative displays would include lead-visuals in the form of
photographs, illustrations, charts or diagrams as well as supporting visuals
in an appropriate media. Text matter that compliments the visuals needs to
be carefully structured into evocative headings or titles, lead-text, sub-
text and captions which an experienced copy-writer can make concise and
interesting. Typography used in a sensitive and creative manner can be
visually stimulating.

A versatile grid is an effective tool in generating interesting layouts
while maintaining visual continuity between a series of panels throughout
the exhibition. It would permit the use of a large variety of sizes and
proportions of visuals and text helping these to hang together. While a grid
aids in the exploration of layouts the final layout would need to transcend
a mechanical interpretation to avoid a sterile presentation.

History walls: When a progression of events or developments through time are
to be depicted history walls are the most effective means of modeling such
patterns in time. Since this technique was first employed and refined by
Charles Eames, the great American designer, numerous variations have been
developed for a variety of themes. In principle a history wall, as the name
suggests, is an expanse of wall that is graphically treated to depict the
flow of time in the horizontal axis. The vertical axis is divided into
bands, each of which traces one subject through time. For example, in the
Nehru Exhibition, while one band deals with Nehru's life the other bands
cover national and international political events, developments in science
and technology, developments in fine and applied arts etc. Hence while the
horizontal bands represent transition the vertical columns represent
simultaneous events. While typography is used to highlight decades or
centuries depending on the span of time depicted the treatment is
predominantly visual. A great deal of visual research is a necessary
prerequisite for the preparation of an effective history wall.

Illustrations and Charts: Information translated into illustrations,
diagrams and charts has far greater effectiveness than a great deal of text.
There are a variety of styles and techniques to choose from, each with its
potentials and limitations. Statistical data could be presented in the form
of graphs, bar charts or pie charts to make it visually interesting and
easily appreciated.  Complex relationships could be modeled with flow-
charts, diagrams or even electronically operated charts. Drawings and
illustrations can be used effectively to highlight aspects that would be
impossible to depict photographically such as the working principle of a
tool or machine or the cross-section of an anthill. Choice of technique is
determined by the resources, time and information available. Some elaborate
techniques can be both expensive and time- consuming while others could be
effective, yet inexpensive and simple to execute.

Scale modes and principle models: Both children and adults enjoy examining
detailed three-dimensional models and replicas. Specially constructed models
have the advantage of being able to highlight specific features through the
selective treatment of such features. Communication of a working principle
or structural feature is effectively conveyed through appropriate types of
models.  A variety of model types could be employed depending on the theme
or subject to be communicated. These could include block-models, cut-away
models, see-through models, and realistic scale-models, working principle
models, replicas and casts.  These models could be executed in a variety of
materials depending on the resources, skills and information available. Just
as a carefully detailed and executed model can be breathtaking, shoddy one
can have disastrous consequences. Hence if models are to be used they must
be carefully designed and ski11fully executed.

Treatment of surfaces and spaces: The mood of an exhibit is considerably
enhanced by the manner in which the ambient surfaces and spaces are treated.
One fairly inexpensive way to enliven surfaces and spaces is through the use
of textiles. Plain or patterned fabrics stretched over panels or suspended
from high ceilings add colour and vitality to the exhibition space and help
set-off the exhibits. Careful choice of colour and texture helps in creating
the desired effect. Both the Nehru Exhibition and the Manipur Pavilion used
this technique extensively each in its own way.

Another type of surface treatment explored was the simulation of mud walls
seen in village houses. The Agri-Expo theme pavilion used this technique
extensively to re-create village spaces in full scale so that the audience
could experience these-spaces, which were intended to heighten their
perception of rural artifacts and motifs. Photographic blow-ups are yet
another means of creating an illusion of space and detail. A series of
related blow-ups is a powerful means of simulating spaces while providing a
great deal of detail. These help to establish the context of scale within
the space available inside exhibition halls.

Dioramas: These form a special class of three-dimensional models. Dioramas
are an effective means of creating an illusion or reality especially in
depicting spaces with the use of very limited exhibition space. This is
achieved by the exaggerated use of perspective distortion, which deceives
the eye. Combined with photographic backdrops and controlled lighting the
effect is a stunning recreation of reality. The interior of a village hut or
an underground coalmine can be a realistic experience for an audience. Sound
effects emanating from strategically placed speakers help enhance this
effect. Dioramas are of two basic types: open-dioramas and peephole type
dioramas. Open-dioramas created with the aid of foreground props and a
photographic backdrop were used as settings for live craft demonstrations in
the Manipur Pavilion at the trade fair in New Delhi.

Illumination and mood lighting: The use of light in exhibition spaces is
both functional and aesthetic. The functional aspects relate to ease of
visibility by establishing suitable levels of illumination, avoiding
distracting reflections and glare. Circulation spaces and information
surfaces generally require a functional treatment. An altogether different
dimension in the use of light is the creation of a certain mood or effect
that is possible through sensitive and controlled use. Here professionals
from theatre and cinema are by far the most competent. Such specialized
lighting when used inside dioramas increases the illusion of reality
manifold.

Audio and Audio-visual: Sound effects and specially prepared sound tracks
can be effective means of enhancing one's experience of specific exhibits.
Sound is difficult to control unless confined to soundproof spaces or
delivered through proximity speakers. Specially designed handsets or
earphones located near key exhibits could be used to provide a sound track,
a running commentary or discourse on that subject. The interest of an
audience is generally aroused when such devices are made available result1ng
in a heightening of awareness and a corresponding openness to receiving
information. Audio-visual media which include changing still pictures,
motion pictures and video images are powerful communication devices. A
multi-screen audio-visual programme can transmit an enormous amount of
information in a short duration. Such programmes are technically complex and
expensive to execute and maintain. However no other media can replicate
their effectiveness with reference to viewing time.

Feedback from visitors: In a permanent exhibition or museum any attempt to
obtain the views of visitors on what interested them and which exhibits held
their attention will certainly provide indicators for improvement of
exhibits.  Over a period of time a great deal of improvement can be made in
the quality and effectiveness of exhibits as well as in the selection of
display techniques to be used. Viewer feedback could be obtained both
through questionnaires as well as through discrete observation of viewers as
they move from exhibit to exhibit.

The Design Process: The design and development of a new exhibition can be
handled as a fairly systematic task. As I have stated earlier, this is
essentially a multi-disciplinary exercise. The process begins with research
and information collection on the subject matter of the exhibition. Once a
fair degree of clarity emerges, the theme of the exhibition is articulated
in the form of a preliminary concept for the whole exhibition. This is
usually visually represented in a skeleton concept model, which would be
arrived at through an exploration of alternative treatments. Such
explorations are carried out for various levels of detail such as overall
layout, detailing of sections, individual displays and panels. Final concept
is frozen at this stage while individual exhibits are worked out to very
fine levels of detail. Expensive or complex exhibits are tested through
specially built mock-ups before major investments are made in their
execution. Detailed plans, layouts and technical specifications are drawn up
for each exhibit so that they could either is executed in-house or through
contractors. These numerous iterations from experiment to specification are
the central features of the design process. It is this systematic procedure
that proves to be cost-effective in the long run.

Note: Mr. Ranjan used slides to illustrate his talk.
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