A new communication model in the natural history museum

CHEN Hui Chuan, HO Chuan Kun & HO Ming Chyuan

Abstract
It is a discourse to argue that how a new communication model, the instigating model, is
practiced in the natural history museum of the 21st century. The variety of communication
theories are suggested in practice in natural history museum since 1968. From the museum
as a communication system and implications for museum educationtomuseum exhibitions
as communication media to convey ideas, the communication models have shifted obviously.
Hooper-Greenhill used the metaphor of the modernist museum, the educational model (curator-
centered); and the metaphor of post-museum, the interpretative model (visitor-centered), to
describe those differences. Three models are compared in this study. Since the first two models
concern only on the learning value in the museum, no matter what the perspective was used to
develop the exhibition. This study argues that the understanding of learning process and
meaning-making are the core values of the new communication model. This new instigating
model develops the exhibition in a natural history museum from a memetic view, the
perspectives of learning involve an infection process of meme. The meme's host could be
anyone relevant to exhibition. The instigator of signal could be anything: object, artifact or text,
graphic design, specimen etc. It is the responsibility of the museum designer to create the
variety of experience aspects to instigate the active selection of culture evolution and to remove
the gap between hosts of memes. A special exhibit on Bat Legend is used as a trial ballon to
highlight the applicability of our new communication model in the natural history museum.

Key Words: communication model, natural history, museum exhibition, meme

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A new communication model in the natural history museum

Introduction ecomuseum and community-based museum

From the aspect of museum sustenance, and demonstrated the examples of the
Neil Kolter and Philip Kolter claimed some new museum paradigm. A new role of
viewpoints of marketing at the end of the 20th museum has emerged within a post-
century that all new museums have to face industrial, post-modern society, after a
up today: 1. museum mission and identity; 2. collapse of a distinction between culture and
building an audience; 3. attracting financial commerce. Deirdre Stam (1993) has
resources. A growing number of museums demonstrated the new museology in the point
today are reinventing themselves to adapt to of informed muse and stated new
changing anticipation by the revolution of museologists offer less tangible metaphors to
organization, exhibition design, programs, suggest purpose: the museum can be a
and services. In the beginning of the 21st forum or a dialogue between curators and the
century, museums in Taiwan are going to face public; or even a public access system where
up to a more immediately challenge, the shift visitors can assemble their own
of the government organization to public experiences. The visitor's experience
cooperation. Visitors in museums shift the becomes, paradoxically, the more tangible
role to customers than as students. How to entity, to wit, the product of the museum. This
compete with other culture industries view implies that the primary product of the
becomes a problem today. museum is then not the preservation and
If a revolutionary idea of exhibition design display of the artifact but rather the
can be addressed, it might be the first step for information to be derived by the public from
the museum to cope with the more full-scale the museum.
interaction relevant to the social and To function as the answer for the question
economic revolution externally and internally. of what is the utility of The New Museology
Fromthe museum as a communication for museum practice, Deirdre Stam
system and implications for museum concluded that museums must develop these
educationto museum exhibitions as techniques as follows:
communication media to convey ideas, the new methods for attempting understanding

communication models have been shifted of society and audience;

obviously. New communication model should new ways of testing visitors' needs and

be invented to create a more practical responses;

relationship among all relevant stakeholders new organizational structures and

of exhibition. To solve the problems coming management approaches to deal with new
from those challenges in the natural history and dynamic functional relationships;
museum of 21st century, a new new ways to evaluateproductivity;

communication model of exhibition design is new communication patterns;

addressed in this discourse. A case study is new approaches to information

demonstrated for a new perspective of management and utilization.

exhibition design in museum practice. In the beginning of the 21st century,
information is not the only primary economic
1. New role of museum in the age of offering anymore. An alternative and distinct
experience economy economic offering, experience, provides
Moira G. Simpson pointed out that the past the key to future economic growth. The age
30 years have seen significant changes in the of experience economy is emerging.
field of museology, perhaps none as When experiences are as a fourth
significant as the development of the economic offering, after the other offerings of

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 materials, goods, services, experiences are
as distinct from services as services are from
goods. Experiences are events that engage
individuals in a personal way. As an
experience may engage customers, Pine and
Gilmore considered two dimensions of the
most important, as depicted in two axes (Fig.
1); one is absorption vs. immersion, and the
other is passive vs. active participation.
The coupling of these dimensions defines
the four realms of an experience-
entertainment, education, escape, and
Fig. 1 The experience realms depicted by Pine and
aestheticism. In The Experience Economy, Gilmore
they pointed out that the wide range of
satisfying experiences is the minimal
requirement for visitors, a surprise
manipulated by the experience and
transformation would be the end
achievement.
The satisfying visitor experiences in nine
Smithsonian museums have been explored
by Pekarik, et al. and were classified into four
categories: object experiences, cognitive
experiences, introspective experiences, and
social experiences. It may be the
characteristic experience in traditional
museums.
Neil Kotler and Philip Kotler also identify Fig. 2 A designed museum-going experience outlined by
the museum product with multiple Neil Kotler and Philip Kotler
experiences of museum-going, which include
recreation, sociability, learning, an aesthetic responses. The experiences as the
experience, a celebrative experience, and an revolutionary product in museums cause the
enchanting experience. They eventually developing model of exhibition design to shift.
outlined three dimensions of a designed
museum-going experience and represented 2. New perspectives of exhibition design
three strategies to serve the marketing role of To be expected or viewed as a loyal
the museums (Fig. 2). First strategy is producer, designers have to play a straight
improving the museum-going experience; neutral bridge between the curator/transmitter
second is community service; and third is and the visitor/receiver in the old perspectives
market repositioning toward entertainment. of the exhibition. In the traditional model of
Those dimensions roughly are corresponding exhibition development, curators assembled
to the distinction among audience goals, the objects or specimens, established the
product goals,and conceptual framework, and wrote the text and
organizational/competitive goals. labels of exhibition. The designer then
The effort of the museum exhibition is packaged the curatorial material in 3D form,
evaluated inevitably by all kinds of visitors' usually embodying the curator's vision.

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 A new communication model in the natural history museum

Afterwards, educators prepared interpretative paradigms that guide disciplined inquiry.

materials that could help visitors make sense Silverman stated,the concept of meaning
of the exhibition experience. However, usually making is generating excitement within the
a curator's true affections were aimed at other museum community. Providing an approach
scholars, leaving a majority of visitors in the to understanding visitor experiences, the
dark. In the challenging times of the 1960s paradigm illuminates the visitor's active role
and 1970s, the curator as the voice of in creating meaning of a museum experience
authority was one of the first to be through the context he/she brings, influenced
challenged. As Kathleen McLean stated that by the factors of self-identity, companions,
the dynamics of dialogue in the new age of and leisure motivations.Jay Rounds
exhibition design will be urged inevitably by addressed that meaning-making paradigm,
the societies of which they are a part. The which differs from the cultural-transmission
developing model of exhibition design paradigm in some critical ways, asserts a
inevitably will be shifted by the new radically-different view of the output of the
perspectives of the museum paradigm. exhibit experience-from facts successfully
Eilean Hooper-Greenhill usednew transferred to meaning constructed in the
research paradigm: marginalizing the mind of visitors.
museumas the subtitle of a paragraph. And George E. Hein further clarified thatall of
stated,a new approach to museum discussions of constructivism include
audience research is becoming established meaning making; but meaning making does
which is pushed forward partly by those who not necessarily imply constructivism.Hein
wish to democratize the museum, and partly also described the constructivist museum in
by the general cultural shift towards the considerations below, e.g. connections to
postmodernism and postcolonialism. Part the familiar, learning modalities,
of this cultural shift is seen in the reworking of collaborations, social interaction, and
concepts of education and learning. She intellectual challenge, etc.
suggested that museum communicate on site In the perspectives ofexhibitions as
through a range of methods which includes communicative media,museum exhibitions
exhibitions of many different types, functions, are products of research, organized and
sizes and approaches to interpretation. designed to convey ideas. Flora Kaplan
Different audiences need different provisions, pointed that an exhibition that communicates
and thought should be given as to how must educate and excite the mind and the
different types of exhibition or display can be senses; when communication is optimal it
used to attract different sections of the public. creates anaffectamong spectators and
Popular blockbuster and the small-scale audiences. Exhibitions generally utilize the
exhibitions of a local adult education group same basic elements to tell the stories: they
can serve this concept without any employ objects either made and used by
contradiction. In the viewpoint of Hooper- human beings or drawn from the natural
Greenhill, the exhibition is a piece of the world; they require texts, most often in the
holistic approach to museum communication form of label, wall panels, headlines and
and is the educational media to serve the banners; and they incorporate other graphic
realpeople, the subgroup of audiences. elements, such as photographs, maps, charts
The paradigm of meaning making in and drawings. In addition, they use lighting,
museums was concerned in the 1990s; in the museum furniture-cases, platforms,
meanwhile, the paradigm of constructivism walls-and architectural elements that must
was emerging to challenge the other protect the objects shown, enhance viewing

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and enclose exhibition space. Qualities of in North America by Cameron in the late
color and texture attach to all these elements. 1960s. Cameron's emphasis on objects as
Sound, seating and the media of film, video, the medium of museum communication was
slide projection, computers and simulation challenged. Knez and Wright proposed that
may also be added. Live elements often putting across ideas (intellectual cognition)
range from planting to performance-dancers, was the primary function of museum
actors and scholars, as well as lectures and communication, at least in science museums,
docents. This communicative media actually and their suggestions led to the modifications
is represented as an assemblage that in the basic communications model.
consists of those so-called basic The process of communication has
elements. evolved from the development of a simple
Although the perspectives obviously shift model to something more complex. The initial
among those emerging paradigms, the simple description of the process of
characteristic of exhibition design never has a communication was based on the idea of one
distinguishing definition. All concerns of the person sending a message to another,
communication model are exclusively perhaps over the telephone. Distinctions were
relevant to the curator/transmitter and the made at the beginning of the process
visitor/ receiver, or the relationship between between the source and the transmitter, and
them in the position of power. It seems that at the end of the process between the
the exhibition has no interpretation involving receiver and the destination. Following up the
the designer. It is a paradoxical viewpoint to communication model of Shannon and
ignore designers and their influences in the Weaver, the knowledge should be effectively
communication model, if we expect a creative received by visitors. All of the design
design would be a surprise to achieve and to problems should focus on the decrease of
win the satisfaction of the visitors' experience. noise or the increase of channel (Fig. 3). The
model can be applied to a museum
I. Theories and methodologies educational exhibition (Fig. 4). In this instance
1. Communication theories and learning the noise which interferes with the
approaches message might include anything from crowds
The educational role of the museum is to visitor fatigue or others.
not only a book title of Hooper-Greenhill but The influence of the model of
also the proper duty of all museums. She communication on approaches to exhibition
used three words: education, interpretation production is discussed by Roger Miles who
and communication, to catch on to what this points out how this linear understanding of
means. Museums should be the informal or the communication process is mirrored in the
lifelong learning place is the unalterable linear process of making exhibition (Fig. 5).
viewpoint, especially in natural history and However, Miles proposes a very different
science museums. approach to exhibition which is much more
Traditionally, the taxonomy of educational flexible and makes use of extensive research
objectives by Benjamin Bloom used in the at all stages of the process, including market
objective model with the setting of research before the process begins, trying-
predetermined goals and the methods of out of exhibits during production and
formative and summative evaluation. summative evaluation after the exhibition
However, the visitor is completely different opens.
from the student. The simple communication Hooper-Greenhill identified two broad
model was introduced to the museum world approaches to conceptualizing

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A new communication model in the natural history museum

source transmitter channel receiver destination

Noise
Fig. 3 The Shannon and Weaver communication model

exhibition objects
exhibition visitor's visitor's
encoded texts
team heads understanding
message eventss

fatigue, crowds, workmen, poor graphics (noises)

Fig. 4 The Shannon and Weaver model applied to exhibition

transmitter medium receiver

curator designer educator
organizes materials
selects objects produces and and activities for school
writes captions installs exhibits and general visitors
Fig. 5 The simple communications model adapted as a way of understanding the exhibition process. The move from
curator to designer to educator takes place in time.

communication: the transmission model and

the cultural model. The transmission model, a
geographical metaphor is used. It is clear that
a realist and positivist epistemology and a
behaviorist learning theory underpin this
model (Fig 3). The cultural approach to
understanding communication: based on the
constructivist paradigm, communication is
understood as a cultural process of
negotiating meaning, which produces
reality through symbolic systems such as
texts, object, artworks, maps, models and Fig. 6 The model demonstrated by Eilean Hooper-
museums. It is the ritual or cultural view. The Greenhill to explain a cultural approach to understanding
communication: based on the constrructivist paradigm.
view proposes that reality has no finite
identity, but is brought into experience, is
produced, through communication. Reality is an alternative approach of goal-free
defined within negotiated frameworks or evaluation for a communication model. The
interpretative communication (Fig. 6). evaluations are more open-ended and
Stephen Bitgood made a lot of contribution explore possible consequences rather than
to the effective exhibit and judged the the predetermined expectations of goal-
success of an exhibit in two ways-visitor oriented evaluation.
measures and/or critical appraisal by experts. Hein summarized the education theories in
Visitor measures include behavior, four theories of teaching are located in
knowledge, and affection. Stopping (attracting different quadrants (Fig. 7): pedagogy for
power) and viewing time (holding power) are didactic/expository education, stimulus-
used as two indices of behavioral response education, discovery learning and
measurement usually. Bicknell also worked constructivism.

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communication is all about.In Aunger's

viewpoint, he described communication
through four approaches: mechanical,
inferential, evolutionary and coevolutionary.
Mechanical approach is devoted to
communication among agents without
intelligence, such as machines. It is based on
the mathematical model of communication,
as epitomized in the work of Chaude
Shannon and William Weaver during the
1940s, and is not directly relevant to
Fig. 7 Four domains of Hein's education theories
memetics. The mechanical approach thus
Kelman compared the objective model and sees communication largely as a process of
the responsive model to be used in finding the optimal coding system to
evaluation of exhibition. The skill of the compensate fornoiseproblem.
ethnographic research used in order to Inferential approach sees communication
produce a complete picture of the learning as the mutual negotiation of meaning. Single
process. Kelman used the Hein matrix to events of information exchange, exemplified
gather a mass of detailed information as so- by dialogue between a sender-receiver pair,
called naturalistic or responsive model. This are standard focus of both the Mechanical
model eliminated the tunnel vision effect in and the inferential theories.
the objective model. Responsive evaluation is Evolutionary approach is devoted to
advocated by Stake, focuses attention on describing the evolution of signaling
program activities rather than program intent. behaviors. The theory holds that
communication is a specialized behavior
2. Communication approaches in memetic involving the broadcast of information. It is a
view question of dialogue versus dissemination.
Communication approaches in memetic Single events of information exchange,
view is an alternative view to be worthy of exemplified by dialogue between a sender-
attention. As in Dawkins's original receiver pair, are the standard focus of both
formulation, memes are passed on by the mechanical and the inferential theories.
imitation. The Oxford English Dictionary Dissemination suggests that the sender
defines a meme as An element of a culture tosses signals out into environment, hoping to
that may be considered to be passed on by find one or more receivers. It is a metaphor of
non-genetic means, especially imitation. message-passing story used to explain both
Memes have been variously suggested to biological and culture evolution.
exist as an idea in someone's head,a If the receiver's response to this
repeatable piece of behavior like a spoken information is also in the sender's interest,
word, or embodied in the form of the ability to emit that cue will also improve.
artifacts, like wheels. Memes are the Communication can even become an arms
replicators and tend to increase in number race between the sender (to deceive) and the
whenever they have the chance. receiver (to decipher). The transformation,
Replicators transmit information, as Robert distortions, and losses of information typical
Aunger says,the idea that social of social transmission are to be explained not
communication involves the replication of just as side effects of jumping the gap
information forces us to reconceptualize what between brains but as the normal

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 A new communication model in the natural history museum

consequence ofduelingcommunication scarcity of bat specimens and objects of bat

itself. motif in the museum collection. It is a
Coevolutionary approach emphasized that successful cooperation of different parties
a consequence of successful communication that included the museum staff, the freelance
can be the replication of the information architect, the photographer of art objects, the
conveyed. Communication is explicitly linked craftsmen of exhibits, the volunteers of the
to large-scale of social phenomena such as specialist, the Bat Association of Taiwan, etc.
cultural change through a physical Each party made the contribution and the
consequence of communication by dyads: the interpretation for their work equally and freely.
replication of information. It is involved not A case study of developing model of
merely as a sender and a receiver, but also exhibition design in the perspectives of new
as a channel and a message. communication theory, in memetics view, was
The major claim of coevolutionary explored. The entire design process of
approach is that communication museum exhibition includes theme
simultaneously involves the sender and orientation, team planning, content
receiver in two different relationships: first, as developing, 3D & graphic design, exhibits
conspecifics with potentially divergent genetic design and evaluation etc. Using the system
and social interests, but also as potential of random sampling: each subject was
hosts to a more or less robust, parasitic selected when the first visitor crossed the
replicator with its own revolutionary interests. entrance threshold at a predetermined time,
The coevolutionary theory thus suggests an with a total of 100 subjects selected.
additional relationship between sender and The methods of tracking and recording
receiver than that of cooperators or visitor behaviors/conversation were
competitors: they also share an infection. conducted. A more open-end questionnaire
Signals are patterned streams of particles after a request was recorded as a preliminary
flowing through a channel. In Aunger's view, study, and the interview of four docents for
signals are not interactors; nor are they this exhibition was recorded, too.
phenotypes, instead they are what he will call
instigator. The arrival of a signal in a brain II. Case study: Bat Legend exhibition
brings an influx of energy and information, 1. Results and discussions of the
sparking the crucial change in local area. exhibition
Artifact, whose primary function is to serve as The venue of Bat Legend consists of six
a signal template, can be called a sections A-F (Fig.8). The various options of
communicative artifact. the visiting route are allowed in the venue,
the entrance and the exit shared the same
3. Methods of case study - Tracking study door. Most visitors (51%) follow the route of
& interview turning right. (Table 1) Only 84% of subjects
The exhibition: Lucky Animals vs. Night completed the entire route and accepted the
Monsters - the Bat Legend as a traveling interview.
exhibition was planned and fabricated during
January 2004-February 2005; exhibited
during February-December 2005, in the
National Museum of Natural Science,
Taichung, Taiwan. This theme was schemed
out for the richness of biodiversity and
cultural diversity. The only problem is the

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 Table 1 The visitor tracking result of bat exhibition
Venue route options Percentage (Total subjects =100)
Route 1: Entrance-A-B-C-D-E-F-C-Exit 51%
Route 2: Entrance-B-A-C-D-E-F-C-Exit 25%
Route 3:Various or incomplete routes excluded route1&2 24%

Fig. 9 The experience aspects of the Bat Legend

exhibition relevant to the model of museum-going
experience outlined by Neil Kotler and Philip Kotler

Fig. 8 The layout of the Bat Legend exhibition, each

section (A-F marked by different colors) was installed to
present the aspects of experience

a. Chinese culture of bat myth b. Western cultural of bat myth

Fig.10 Poetic aspect: the second-order semiological system of Roland Barthes in Myth today, used for bat myth in
Chinese culture (a) and Western cultural (b)

Each section consists of panels and content (Table 2). The complicated and
specimen/objects/exhibits. Panels consist of multidisciplinary aspects of experience create
subtitle, text and image (or extra specimen/ a wide-ranging idea of design to instigate the
model). Each item of exhibition is created and various responses of the visitors (Fig. 9).
involved in more than two aspects of Those aspects of experiences are as
experience but not complied with the follows,
hierarchy or structure of the textbook's

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A new communication model in the natural history museum

Table 2 Description List of Exhibit Items

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 Fig. 11 The exhibits of aesthetic aspect

a. The fiber art marked as A2 b. The glass art marked as A4

Fig. 12 The exhibits of narrative aspect

a. Text panel marked as P1-2 b. The image and video panel marked as B4-B7

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 A new communication model in the natural history museum

Fig. 13 The exhibits of authentic aspect

a. The bat specimen marked as C3 in the floor plan b. The object of bat motif marked as F2

Fig. 14 The exhibits of social aspect Fig. 15 The exhibits of imitation aspect

a. Hands-on exhibit of bat roost b. Leisure furniture of a. The statue of bat (30x) marked as C2 b. A diorama of the bats in
marked as E4 bat motif marked as F4 the roost marked as E3

poetic aspect (p): poem, proverb, legend artificial fruit and bat roost, etc (Fig. 15).
and tale of literature, semiotic context (Fig. 10); The feedback from the visitor study and
aesthetic aspect (ae): objects related to bat the interview of docents indicated that this
motif, the work of fiber art, glass craft, visual exhibition is very attractive, especially in two
art and furniture design (Fig. 11); features: the surprising feeling about the
narrative aspect (n): text, image and audio- diversity of bat and that some bats are so
visual media (Fig. 12); good-looking enough to overthrow the
authentic aspect (au): bat fossil, mounted stereotype of bat/vampire (38% in Table 3
specimen, objects and symbols related to bat and 70% in Table 4), and the variety of
motif, bat images of portrait and ecological experience aspects to satisfy the visitors (the
behavior, products (e.g. Tequila) of everyday responses of section A, B, and C, in Table 3).
life related to the topic of the ecological key The increasing proportion of the aesthetic
role of bat (Fig. 13); aspect is much more than the other
social aspect (s): sensory and kinetic exhibitions in natural history/science
hands-on exhibit, leisure furniture (Fig.14); museums appreciated and emphasized (70%
imitation aspect (i): magnified 3D model of in Table 4). Some visitors further took the
small bat and full size 3D model of big bat, picture of the exhibit of glass art (Fig. 11b)

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 Table 3 The visitor interview result of bat exhibition

Note: The ansewrs from some subjects are multiple choices in different.

Table 4 The visitor interview result of bat exhibition

Summarized perspectives of most satifactory/ surprised/ precious items

Summarized perspectives of unsatisfactory items

and got a replica of exhibit from the same model. It isbased upon a culture-centered
craft workshop to keep a concrete memory. In criterion in experience aspects. The
the authentic aspect, to see the real thing is preliminary result indicated that design
still very important and is the only purpose of approach of creating a variety of experience
a museum visit for some people. (Bat aspects made a big contribution to the
specimen marked as C3, 43% in Table 3 and participation of cultural diversity and bio-
52% in Table 4) diversity for visitors in the natural history
museum. It also offered the pluralistic and
2. The characteristics of instigating model creative vision for the designer.
The Bat Legend Exhibition appropriated As a new theory of how we think, memetics
the innovative communication theory from is a very inventing concept linked to cultural
memetics for a revolutionary developing study. It is the culture analogue to the study
model of exhibition design, the instigating of how disease-causing pathogens are

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A new communication model in the natural history museum

(A) Educational model

Visitor survey Formative
(Front-end evaluation) evaluation

Brief of content/ Exhibit/Media/

Object/Storyline Graphic design
Visitor
Curator Designer
(Viewer)
Authentication Taxonomy of
& Authority educational objectives

Holding & Attracting power in exhibit items

Criteria (summative and goal-oriented evaluation)
of effectiveness
Transmission model of communication

(B) Interpretative model

Visitor survey Formative
(Front-end evaluation) evaluation

Brief of content/ Exhibit/Media/

Object/Storyline Graphic design
Visitor
Curator Designer
(Viewer)
Meaning Multiple channels
negotiation in culture construction

Criteria
Evaluation Matrix in communication channels
of mutual beliefs
(responsive and goal-free evaluation)
and values
Culture model of communication

(C) Instigating model

Signal-instigators interaction

Brief of content/ Exhibit/Media/

Object/Storyline Graphic design Visitor
Curator Designer (Viewer)
Meaning Variety of
negotiation experience aspects

Criteria of
Evaluation Matrix in experience aspects
culture
(qualitative, naturalistic or interactive methods)
selection
Evolutionary & Coevolutionary approaches of
communication model
people

principle meme infection loop

process information transmission loop

product

Conceptual Developmental Functional Assessment

Phase Phase Phase Phase
evaluation

gathering
terminating
production

operational
gathering

planning
stage

idea
stage

stage
idea

stage

Exhibition project model (illustrated by Dean, David, 1994)

Fig. 16 The diagram comparison among three developing models of exhibition design

diffused through population. This surviving in society, by the force of meme infection.
process of meme is displayed in our everyday The most interesting feedback from the
life and we call it popular culture. Therefore if evaluation of visitors is to know that some
the wide-ranging visitor's experiences can be visitors visited the venue repeatedly and
created as the instigators in popular culture, made the replicas of exhibit. The visitor
all related stakeholders of the museum duplicated the exhibit. It is an evidence of
include not only the visitors, but the curator, meme infection.
and the designer, may be entangled together The exhibition project model of David Dean
in the evolutionary and coevolutionary culture illustrated the design developing process as

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Table 5 The Comparison of critical elements among three developing models of exhibition design

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 A new communication model in the natural history museum

sequential arrangement of conceptual phase, coming from the other cultural and/or
development phase, function phase and commercial organizations. Considering the
assessment phase. This model and four influence of constructivism became the
elements of design,people, e.g. curator, popular perspective around 1989, the
exhibition designer and visitor (i.e. concerns of learning process gradually
viewer/audience);product, e.g. theme of dominated. The interpretative perspectives
content, exhibit, and experience, etc.; from the marginal and various subgroups of
process, e.g. team-working, interaction or the visitor (real people) were encouraged to
transmission among different parties of be accommodated in museums.
people, etc.;principle, e.g. Hooper-Greenhill used the metaphor of the
communication theories, methods and criteria modernist museum, the educational model
of evaluation, etc., are the illustrative foci of (curator-centered); and the metaphor of the
three developing models (Fig. 16, Table 5). post-museum, the interpretative model
Two loops around the instigating model, (visitor-centered), to describe those
one for information transmission, the other for differences. The democratic considerations
meme infection, this distinguishing character change the hierarchy concept in exhibition
makes up a variety of aspects i.e. poetic, content and the communication chain in team
aesthetic, narrative, authentic, social, and work. The content meaning is negotiated
imitation aspect, etc. The various aspects of between the curator and the designer in the
each exhibit will be created and selected as interpretative model. The feedback loop of
the instigator of the meme. Those ideas information transmission between the curator
(meme) compete among themselves for the
and the visitor is considered as the active
right to occupy the mental niche that is
participation of cultural society. The meaning-
devoted to the description or explanation of
making in museum is shifting from the
some phenomenon. It will be the more
curator-centered (educational model) point to
interesting and more active experience of
the visitor-centered (interpretative model)
museum going. Afterwards, the result will
point.
construct the criteria of culture selection that
Three models are compared in this study.
the process goes on in social groups.
This study argues that the understanding of
In this instigating model, the position of
the learning process and meaning-making
power, the definition of message, and the
are the core values of a new communication
boundary of academic disciplines all are
model. The first two models concern only the
blurred. Every visitor can have the
experience-making of museum-going and learning value in the museum, no matter what
might be inspired by some new ideas. The the perspective was used to develop the
exhibition serves the culture coevolution more exhibition. The designer only technically
than the pedagogy in society. The memetics played a part to improve the communicative
how to interact with visitors should be channels or media which were assumed is
explored by the ethnographic research detached from the content or the knowledge
comprehensively. value. Both models ignored the participation
of the communicative channels and media
III. Conclusion which would be the interpretative participants
Natural history/science museums in evolutionary culture. This viewpoint shrinks
conventionally are considered as the informal the vision of designer and takes away the
educational place before the crises emerging chance of involving into the interesting culture
in new museum age and the competition of technology.

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 This new instigate model (culture-centered) instigate the active selection of culture
develops the exhibition in a natural history evolution and to remove the gap between
museum from a memetic view; the hosts of memes. This viewpoint reinvents the
perspectives of learning involve an infection vision of the designer in exhibition design and
process of meme. The meme's host could be instigates the active involvement of exhibition
anyone relevant to the exhibition. The design in cultural progress. The problem
instigator of signal could be anything: object, solving in the instigating model may be more
artifact or text, graphic design, specimen etc. interesting and creative more than the noise
It is the responsibility of the museum designer removing in the model of Shannon and
to create the variety of experience aspects to Weaver.

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About the author

Ms. Hui-Chuan Chen 1 has worked as an assistant curator for 15 years at Exhibition Department of National Museum
of Natural Science. She has completed more than twenty projects of museum exhibition and a few research projects of
museum exhibition planning & design. She has attended the international design conferences on the topics such as
exhibition design. Her internship for the study of museum exhibition evaluation was in Natural History Museum, London.
She has received the research grant from National Endowment for Culture and Art for the study of conservation in
museum exhibition in USA. She has received both of B.S. and M.S. in biology and now is a Ph.D. student at the
Graduate School of Design in National Yunlin University of Science and Technology.
Dr. Chuan-Kun Ho 2 Education: 1) 1985, PhD of Anthropology, Washington State University, USA. 2)1977, Master of
Anthropology, Washington State University, USA. 3)1971, Bachelor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology,
National Taiwan University, Taiwan, ROC. Professional Experience: 1) 1998-presernt, Professor, Department of History,
National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan, ROC. 2)1998-presernt, Professor, Department of History, Tunghai University,
Taichung, Taiwan, ROC. 3)1998-present, Curator and Chair, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural
Science, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC. 4)1996-presernt, Professor, Graduate Institute of Anthropology, National Tsing Hua
University, Taiwan, ROC.
Dr. Ming-Chyuan Ho 3 has worked in his field for 26 years, for reputable companies like SAMPO Technology
Corporation, which manufactures electronic products for international markets. Additionally, he has spent twelve years
as the director of various departments and centers, including his current position as dean of the College of Design at
National Yunlin University of Science & Technology, and as the President of Chinese Institute of Design. While teaching
at the university, he has been working closely with the industry and completed more than forty design and research
projects. Dr. Ho is the author of numerous publications for various academic journals of design, and has attended more
than seventy design conferences on topics such as new product R & D, user interface design, creative craft design, as
well as design strategy and management. He received both of his M. F. A. and Ph.D. in design from the University of
Kansas.

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