We know how much planning goes into creating a new exhibit experience for your patrons. Exhibit labels are a key part of that process, and well-written labels help keep visitors engaged. Here are six tips to help you connect with your audience:
1. Keep Your Visitors in Mind
- Writing with your audience in mind is essential for creating clear, effective exhibit labels.
- Not all visitors are native English speakers. Use simple, clear language without talking down to your audience.
- Some visitors, including young children and people with visual impairments, may experience your content by listening rather than reading.
- Test your text by reading it aloud. Define unfamiliar terms and keep sentences concise to reduce the need for interpretation.
- Assume your visitors are new to the subject. While you may be deeply familiar with the content, your audience may not be.
2. Keep the Text Short & Simple
- Most visitors will scan or read shorter labels but may skip longer blocks of text.
- Choose shorter, more familiar words when possible so your content is accessible to a wider audience.
- Break longer labels into two or three short paragraphs. This makes the text easier to approach and read.
3. Keep Your Writing Active
- Active voice makes your writing clearer and more direct. Passive constructions can be wordy or unclear.
- "The savanna is roamed by beautiful giraffes." versus "Beautiful giraffes roam the savanna."
- "The baby was carried by the kangaroo in her pouch." This one is an example of passive voice being vague. Whose baby is it? Is it her baby or a human baby? The sentence isn't clear. So, to change it to active voice, you'd write, "The kangaroo carried her baby in her pouch."
4. Make it engaging
- Exhibit labels should be friendly while maintaining authority.
- Combining text with graphics can improve understanding and retention. Visual elements also encourage interaction and discussion.
- Explain technical terms, and avoid jargon or unclear acronyms.
- Adjust your tone to fit the subject and audience. For example, an exhibit on Rembrandt will differ in tone from one on Jim Henson and the Muppets, even though the same principles apply.
5. Keep it conversational.
- Write as if you are speaking directly to your visitors.
- Use engaging language to show enthusiasm.
- Avoid judgmental or overly sentimental descriptions.
6. Bring Objects to Life
- Objects in exhibits are often removed from their original context. Help visitors reconnect with their human stories.
- Incorporate quotations when appropriate to add perspective or emotion.
- Use humor carefully. Because it is subjective, light anecdotes or thoughtful observations are often more effective than jokes.
- Engage the senses—touch, sound, smell, or taste—when relevant to make the experience more vivid.
- Connect the past to the present by relating objects to familiar ideas or contemporary topics, such as accessibility or cultural identity.
