Videos Archives - Paul Orselli

Just One Thing about Exhibits!

Paul Orselli Talks Museum Exhibit FAQs TOO!

Beyond Buttons, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Analog. July 14, 2025
I get it. You walk into a museum planning meeting and someone inevitably says, "What if we just put a touchscreen on it?" It's like the exhibition equivalent of putting bacon on everything – sure, it works, but sometimes you need to step back and remember that not every problem needs a digital solution.Don't get […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Feeling Flush With Success -- Making Museum Bathrooms Into Exhibition Spaces July 8, 2025
You know that moment when you're mid-museum visit and nature calls? You reluctantly tear yourself away from that fascinating display about medieval pottery, trudge to the restroom, and then -- POW! -- you're face-to-face with more educational content. Welcome to the wonderful world of bathroom exhibits, where even your most private moments become learning opportunities.The Captive […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Designing Instagram Moments That Actually Mean Something July 1, 2025
People are going to share photographs of your exhibits, whether you design with that purpose in mind or not. The question isn't whether to embrace social media like Instagram, it's how to do it without turning your museum into a themed backdrop factory.The Balancing Act: 5 Questions to Ask YourselfBefore you add that neon sign […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
What Fixing Broken Exhibits Has Taught Me About Smart Design June 23, 2025
Let me paint you a picture. It's Tuesday morning, and the school groups are due to arrive in an hour. Your star interactive exhibit—the one that took six months to design and three months to build—is making that clicking sound again. You know, the one that means "expensive repair visit" in exhibit language.Meanwhile, that simple […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Can AI Be Your Museum Brainstorming Buddy? June 17, 2025
Let's be honest: we've all been there. It's 3 PM on a Tuesday, and you're staring at a blank concept document, with your brain feeling like it's been replaced with cotton candy. The client wants "something interactive about local history that appeals to all ages and doesn't cost more than a decent used car."Your internal […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
"Stealing" Ideas from Everyone. What Apple Stores, Airports, and Playgrounds Can Teach Museums About Visitor Experience. June 9, 2025
Here's a confession: some of my best exhibit ideas have come from places that have nothing to do with museums. That breakthrough wayfinding solution? Inspired by IKEA's store layout. The interactive that finally got teenagers engaged? I borrowed the concept from a skateboard shop in Portland.Museum professionals sometimes act like we're the only industry that […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Where's Your Workshop? June 2, 2025
It used to be that every museum had an "exhibits workshop." An unsettling trend (to me at least) is the continuing wave of museums that have deliberately left exhibit workshops (staff access, not visitor access spaces) out of the mix.Can any museum that features interactive exhibits, or really any type of exhibits, ever really become […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)

Designing Instagram Moments That Actually Mean Something

People are going to share photographs of your exhibits, whether you design with that purpose in mind...

What Fixing Broken Exhibits Has Taught Me About Smart Design

Let me paint you a picture. It's Tuesday morning, and the school groups are due to arrive in an hour...

Can AI Be Your Museum Brainstorming Buddy?

Let's be honest: we've all been there. It's 3 PM on a Tuesday, and you're staring at a blank concept...

"Stealing" Ideas from Everyone. What Apple Stores, Airports, and Playgrounds Can Teach Museums About Visitor Experience.

Here's a confession: some of my best exhibit ideas have come from places that have nothing to do wit...

Where's Your Workshop?

It used to be that every museum had an "exhibits workshop." An unsettling trend (to me at least) is ...