Introduction
DESIGN DISRUPT
RESEARCH QUESTION
How can museum practitioners be active agents in disrupting the reproduction of white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, ableism, and colonialism in the process of creating exhibitions?
TO
OBJECTIVE
BODY LANGUAGE
Develop a toolkit that...
How does my • Synthesizes and applies insights from change museum measure impact agents working both inside and outside of and the define success? museum field
• Aids museum practitioners engageWho in an orintentional what and ongoing practice of prioritizing equity, inclusion, defines this? and justice in their work
Positioning museum practitioners as catalysts for change
IDENTITY What are these cards? What Come find meare to my chat about beliefs and the Design to Disrupt Toolkit assumptions or learn about more using the QR the code below! exhibition
Chaya Arabia
content? How did I come to these?
MFA, University of the Arts Graduate Intern, Design, J. Paul Getty Museum
Toolkit
Are there spaces where I can share or PURPOSE give up power?
Looking Outside
BACKGROUND
LITERATURE REVIEW
CASE STUDIES
DESIGN FRAMEWORKS
INTERVIEWS
Museums are experiencing an overdue reckoning of the entrenched white supremacy culture that lingers within these institutions. While museums have come a long way from the 16th century galleries and cabinets of curiosities, they are still products of colonization. As part of recent decolonization initiatives, museums have employed different interventions that address diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; however, the one-off solutions to decolonize museums have not made significant changes in museum culture. Despite these efforts, many museums today continue to be sites of SPIRIT ARCHETYPE ARCHETYPE BODY LANGUAGE pain for communities whose stories and voices have been historically excluded, erased, and othered in museums. To whom or advocate builder what do we This moment is an opportunity for radical re-evaluation and hold ourselves recalibration, in which we locate a path forward, how to The advocate employs The builder plans, accountable as empathy and care patriarchal to organizes, and ‘unmuseum’ the and white supremacist practices consider perspectives strategizes to achieve institution? notmuseums at thean table. the shared way. vision. that were founded upon in a sustainable
My research began with a literature review to understand the landscape and evolution of museums. I sought out sources that provided a critical lens as to how museums are rooted in white supremacy and colonialism and how these systems continue to be reinforced, often as a culture. I studied collectives like MASS Action, #MuseumsAreNotNeutral, the Empathetic Museum, and Death to Museums to build upon and add to movements pushing for change.
Two exhibition projects were selected as case studies:
There is much to be learned from looking outside of ourselves. This project explores design frameworks that exist outside of the museum field that have overlap in many ways. These frameworks recognize that good intentions are not enough, and that we must prioritize the impact of our choices. They have all created communities of practice and networks that emerge from shared principles that center equity, justice, and liberation.
I interviewed 15 people working in a variety of fields including service design, user experience design, research and evaluation, graphic design, and sustainability design. These interviewees provided their perspectives on how to prioritize and align values that promote equity in their work.
How do we hold ourselves accountable?
IDENTITY BODY LANGUAGE
SPIRIT COMMUNITY
INTERVIEWS
race
SPIRIT ARCHETYPE
What role does designer my museum play in its The designer makes neighborhood? choices, solves
I interviewed 21 people working in different contexts within the museum field. These interviews underscored why and how disruption of business as usual was needed, as well as the barriers people face within themselves, their teams, leadership, and institutions. religion
SPIRIT COMMUNITY
The visionary illuminates the unseen paths forward even when others cannot easily make sense of them.
experience
day care
COMMUNITY
ability
How are my identities sources of power and privilege, or disadvantage?
PURPOSE
PARTICIPANTS
The toolkit contains 62 unique cards divided into 8 categories. The card deck is further organized into three practices that emerge from the Design to Disrupt approach: Reflect, Reimagine, and Cultivate.
Prototyping was critical to understanding the following:
I facilitated four prototyping sessions with the following individuals and teams:
• The overall experience of using the cards in both an individual and team setting
The card deck was designed to be used as a reflective tool individually and to spark dialogue in collaborative contexts within museums. It was intended to be used fluidly in ways that are continuing to unfold.
• How the toolkit could be improved
What is my museum’s body language?
IDENTITY
How do my identities influence my work?
BODY LANGUAGE IDENTITY
What is How my museum’s do my identities body language? influence my work?
IDENTITY
IDENTITY
How do my identities influence my work?
How do my identities influence my work?
How might I apply this What is my museum’s archetype to my work? body language?
ARCHETYPE BODY LANGUAGE
What is my museum’s How might I apply this body language? archetype to my work?
CULTIVATE
Reimagination Practice prompts users to look outside of their specific role as an individual and as an institution. How might museum Howmymight I apply this embody the archetype spirit of...? to my work?
SPIRIT ARCHETYPE
How might museum Howmymight I apply this embody the archetype spirit of...? to my work?
How might my museum embody the spirit of...?
SPIRIT
How might my museum embody the spirit of...?
WAY OF KNOWING
BARRIERVALUE
BARRIERVALUE COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY WAY OF KNOWING
BARRIERVALUE
What am I willing to let go of What in order to are showing values prioritize up equity? in my work?
DESIGN JUSTICE PRINCIPLES
What am I willing to let go of What inamorder to are showing Which communities Ivalues Which communities am I What ways of knowing equity? centeringprioritize and why? up centering and why? am I uplifting? in my work?
BARRIERVALUE COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY WAY OF KNOWING
What am I willing to let Which communities Ivalues Which communities am I go of What inamorder to are showing What ways of knowing centeringprioritize and why? up centering and why? equity? am I uplifting? in my work?
gatekeeping
cultural knowledge
BARRIER
perfectionism
• Jessica Bicknell, Head of Exhibitions at the Penn Museum
1.
We use design to sustain, heal, and empower our communities, as well as to seek liberation from exploitative and oppressive systems.
2.
We center the voices of those who are directly impacted by the outcomes of the design.
3.
We prioritize design’s impact on the community over intentions.
4.
We view change as emergent from an accountable, accessible, and collaborative process, rather than at the end of a process.
5.
We see the role of the designer as a facilitator rather than an expert.
6.
We believe that everyone is an expert based on their own lived experience.
7.
We share design knowledge and tools with our communities.
8.
We work towards sustainable, community-led and controlled outcomes.
9.
We work towards non-exploitative solutions to reconnect us to the earth and to each other.
10.
Before seeking new solutions, we look for what is already looking at the community level. We honor and uplift traditional, indigenous, and local knowledge and practices. 5
BARRIER
either or thinking
Conclusions power hoarding
ANALYSIS
FINAL THOUGHTS
Prototyping participants found the Design to Disrupt toolkit to be worthwhile and productive. Prototyping participants saw potential for this toolkit to be used in their contexts to spark conversations and to encourage vulnerability and closeness with colleagues.
We all have a role to play in transforming our museums. By cultivating a critically reflexive practice we can begin to shift mindsets and catalyze change within our spheres of influence.
KEY INSIGHTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Emerging from this project are key insights about what we as a field should be letting go of and working towards.
1. Project Advisors: Stephanie Reyer, Stacey Mann, Anthony Guido, Maurice Baynard, Elaine Gonzalez, Liana Dragoman
LETTING GO Maya Hartmann prototyping the Design to Disrupt Toolkit individually.
What ways of knowing am I uplifting?
WAY OF KNOWING
Right: Virtual prototyping session with staff at the Buffalo Museum of Science. What ways of knowing am I uplifting?
Top: Virtual prototyping participants received a package containing the Design to Disrupt toolkit and materials.
Visualization of analyzing power. Image courtesy of Design Justice
BARRIER
WORKING TOWARDS
BEST PRACTICES
BETTER PRACTICES
ASSUMED CONSTRAINTS
UNCOVER THE ROOT AND REALLOCATE RESOURCES
POSSESSIVE INVESTMENT IN WHITENESS
RECOGNIZE OUR OWN COMPLICITY AND INSTITUTIONAL HISTORY
CLOSURE
EMBRACE COMPLEXITY
ONE MUSEUM VOICE
PLURALISM
OVERRELIANCE ON GOOD INTENTIONS
ACCOUNTABILITY
SEPARATION OF MUSEUM AND COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY IS THE DNA OF THE MUSEUM
WAY OF KNOWING
Cultivation Practice guides users with questions that encourage prioriting equity and inclusion at each step of a project. What am I willing to let What go of What in order to are showing values prioritize up equity? in my work?
BARRIER
• Maya Hartmann, Curator of Exhibits at Mercer Museum
• Cross-department staff at the Buffalo Museum of Science
When trying to work towards equity and liberation, a lot of folks seem to think they can use the same resources as before. But that is not possible. You’re going to have to invest a lot more. Antionette Carroll
• Exhibits team at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum
PRACTICES
SPIRIT
• Speculative Design
collective spirituality action
ORGANIZATION
In the form of a card deck and guidebook, the toolkit engages a practice of acknowledging and dismantling power constructs, understanding institutional history, prioritizing values, and letting go of practices that no longer serve us.
Reflection Practice prompts users with questions that stimulate awareness of oneself and one’s institution.
lived experience
language
• If the questions are generative/thought provoking
SPIRIT ARCHETYPE
• Liberatory Design
WAY OF KNOWING VALUE
Prototyping
HOW IT WORKS
ARCHETYPE BODY LANGUAGE
• Equity-Centered Community Design
vaccine site
APPROACH
BODY LANGUAGE
WAY OF KNOWING
WAY OF KNOWING
REIMAGINE
• Design Justice
Bottom: Philadelphia Assembled City Panorama. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Assembled.
• If the exercise is worthwhile/productive/informative
REFLECT
Both projects disrupted the status quo by relinquishing authority. They infused values of transparency and justice in their process, by acknowledging problematic aspects of institutional and placebased histories and empowering historically marginalized voices. Top: Fred Wilson at the Maryland Historical Society in 1993. Photograph by Jeff Goldman, courtesy of the MHS.
IDENTITY
Design to Disrupt is an inquiry-based toolkit for critically reflexive practice in museums. A critically reflexive practice can be defined as an ongoing process of attending to the assumptions, biases, and values underlying our actions.
• Philadelphia Assembled (Philadelphia Museum of Art)
visionary
problems, and turns ideas into reality.
Who does my museum prioritize?
COMMUNITY
• Mining the Museum (Maryland Historical Society)
soup kitchen
library
ARCHETYPE BODY LANGUAGE
In what ways Who does my I question museumdo benefit? and challenge the my norms and Who does museumpractices really serve?established at my museum?
IDENTITY In what ways do I hold power?
Understanding the Landscape
2. Interviewees/Consultants: Aaron Goldblatt, Angela Mele, Andrea Ngan, Antionette Carroll, Ciara Cyst, Chris Taylor, Cynthia Lee, Cynthia Smith, Dan Spock, Danita Reese, Devika Menon, Elaine H. Gurian, Elena Gonzalez, Evan Schulman, Jenny-Sayre Ramberg, Jess Sand, Jheri Wills, Jonai Gibson-Selix, Joanne Jones-Rizzi, Kara Wentworth, Kate Curto, Kate Raisz, Mariel Villeré, Mekala Krishnan, Nina Simon, Oronde Wright, Penny Jennings, Randi Korn, Rose Paquet Kinsley, Sam Mera-Candedo, Sasha Costanza-Chock, Stephanie Deach, Su Oh, Tania Anaissie, Tiya Gordon, Victoria Edwards, William Adair, Zahava Doering 3. Prototyping Participants: Clyde Crossan, Jennifer Aguilar, Gabrielle Graham, Zachary Goodrich, Kathy Leacock, Michelle Braswell, Marc Tomko, Stephanie Drzymala, Jessica Bicknell, Maya Hartmann, Su Oh, Allesandra Lofton, Diana Pop 4. Referenced Thought Leaders/Collectives: MASS Action, The Empathetic Museum, Dr. Porchia Moore, #MuseumsAreNotNeutral (La Tanya S. Autry and Mike Murawski), Death To Museums, Lonnie G. Bunch III, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, Yesomi Umolu