How Storytelling Transforms Exhibition Design: 5 Keys for Creating Engaging Experiences

Have you ever been to exhibitions and felt like you were transported to another world? That's one of the powers of storytelling in exhibition design.

It's not enough to have works and their information when designing exhibitions. The organizers need to design a story to connect with the visitor. Storytelling is the bridge between information and emotional connection for the visitor. If the exhibitions have an interesting story, it will attract a lot of visitors, and it helps visitors understand the meaning behind the works and feel, and it transforms an exhibition from just a display to an experience.

In this article, I explore why storytelling is important in exhibition design and break down 5 keys with examples.

The first exhibition "SF Prototyping Exhibition" where I worked as a project manager

Why Storytelling Matters in Exhibition Design?

Exhibitions aren't only displaying objects, but also they need to create an experience. A strong story helps visitors connect emotionally and keep information better. The human brain is wired for stories. Ms. Jennifer Aaker said "Stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone." When designing exhibition, they can use storytelling to increase visitor engagement and comprehension.

The difference between traditional object-focused exhibitions and storytelling-driven exhibitions

Storytelling-Driven Exhibitions

Characteristics

• Aims to connect emotionally with the visitors

• Visitors become active participants

• Centers around a narrative

• Create an immersive experience with multisensory elements

Advantages

• Engages visitors with a compelling narrative

• Encourages emotional connections and deeper understanding

• Immersive and interactive

Disadvantages

• Objects may be overlooked 

• Require more complex planning

• Risk of oversimplification or distorting facts 

• Less effective if the story doesn't resonate with all visitors

Examples

• The Van Gogh Immersive Experiences: The Van Gogh Immersive Experience uses 360-degree projections with animation of his works and sound to transform his art into a multi-sensory narrative journey.

Traditional object-focused exhibitionS

Characteristics

• Focuses on displaying works

• Visitors passively observe objects

• Designed for individual contemplation 

• Minimal interpretation beyond labels and descriptions

Advantages

• Showcases real works

• Easy to organize

• Focus on authenticity

Disadvantages

• Static or disconnected from context

• Challenging to create emotional connections

• Less interactive or immersive

Examples

• The British Museum: The British Museum has vast and diverse collections of historical objects from all over the world. They focus on objects and give visitors opportunities to admire ancient works and learn about other cultures through the objects.

5 Keys of Storytelling in Exhibitions

1. Create Emotional Connections

People remember emotions more than facts as I mentioned before. They can freely imagine from works, so it can sound good. However, the organizer can also provide a story. It is attractive for visitors and it can work to help understand for visitors as a signpost and a map. The emotional connections are a strong bridge between visitors and works.

Example: The Van Gogh Immersive Experiences

Rather than show his actual paintings or provide written commentary, it creates videos using his work, combining many of his works and displaying them throughout the room, inviting visitors into his paintings and world. Visitors are guided through the story and can know his life and thoughts from his works in a sensory way, rather than explanatory.

2. Define a Clear Narrative Flow

It is important to define a clear purpose and make a clear structure for storytelling. Organizers should plan for visitors to easily enter the story. It needs an introduction, a middle, and an ending like movies. Also, it should be a compelling narrative, and it guides visitors naturally, and it will lead to sympathy.

Example: The Making of Harry Potter

In "The Making of Harry Potter," visitors can enter into the Harry Potter world as if they were characters by set, props, and costume from the books and movies, such as the Great Hall. At the same time, the exhibitions focus on the filmmakers, and they share their thoughts on how it was made, such as special & visual effects. This allows for a natural and smooth transition from the perspective of a regular viewer to that of the creator creating the works.

3. Know the audience

In the case of storytelling-driven exhibition, visitors can be active participants in the story, not just visitors. For that, we need to know who the audience is, and their demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioral to make effective settings of the story. The good setting will work to well-understand the story for them and to lead more sympathy with the story.

Example: SF Prototyping Exhibition

This exhibition, for which I served as project manager, was our first company exhibition for the company. By holding an exhibition centered on our mission rather than the usual technical appeal, we could connect with people who shared the same passion, regardless of industry or company, that we would not normally meet in our regular work.

4. Plan the best way to exhibit 

Organizer should choose the best user experience to tell the story. They can make a different world for the exhibition in the space. They focus on the purpose and plan how to build the story world. For that, They think how to use multiple senses, such as sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. The effects using multiple senses work to give visitors different experiences from their lives. It enhances interactive & immersive experience in the story.

Example: teamLab Planets

"TeamLab Planets" is an exhibition that makes visitors feel like they are in another world, and gives them an immersive experience. This exhibition design uses multiple senses - sight, sound, and touch - to create interactive art using the newest technology. This allows visitors to not just watch, but to experience a sense of being one with the space and to immerse themselves deeply in the story.

5. Plan an Ending & Continue

Stories have an ending. It includes messages from an organizer in the most cases, and it can strongly leave an impression with visitors by the story. Also, stories have continuing stories. Visitors imagine the next story from the exhibition, and it works to keep and increase the interest of the works, their thought, and the topics to visitors.

Example: The Science of Movement

"The Science of Movement" is an exhibition about the expression and mechanisms of movement, and they created an experience that makes visitors feel as if they are visiting an art lab where their predecessors' works are displayed. The emotion and thought to "make something" will remain in the visitors' hearts, encouraging their desire to create for the future. The inspiration that visitors gain from the exhibition will lead to their individual next steps, and the exhibition itself will have a long-term impact on the visitors' thoughts and actions as a big "movement."

Summary & Actionable Takeaways

Storytelling changes exhibitions from static displays into engaging experiences. For that, exhibition design needs to create emotional connections with visitors, define a clear narrative flow, know the audience, plan the best way to exhibit, and plan an ending and continue. The five keys can be applied to any exhibition and effectively work.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and found the helpful information. If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to share them in the comments below. Thank you for visiting, and I look forward to connecting with you!