ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS AND STRATEGIES FOR TODAY’S INTERPRETIVE PLANNERS
2. Be outcome-based Second, interpretive messages and media are outcome-based. That is, all interpretation panels are written and designed to accomplish one or more of three types of objectives:
• Learning objectives. • Behavioral objectives. • Emotional objectives.
These are “outcomes” that the site is paying to have the panel (or any interpretation) accomplish, they are the “benefits” of the panel in this case. I believe that for every one dollar spent on interpretation the site’s management should expect at least two dollars’ worth of benefits (or return on their interpretive investment) from that panel.
When we plan interpretive panels, or any interpretive media, we try to answer the two questions everyone hates. The questions I always ask are:
1. Why would a visitor want to know this? 2. How do you want the visitor to use the interpretation or message you are giving them?
These questions relate back to your objectives – you can have objectives, but are they “good ones”? By asking these questions you can check the marketability of your outcomes.
JOHN A VEVERKA | 11