Designing the Public Interface

In the age of mega lawsuits over ownership of computer interface metaphors little time is spent on an issue critical to successful Interactive museum exhibits - the "public interface". A public interface which is responsive to a general audience is a key to the museum visitor's exploration of interactive exhibits and can foster a positive response to the application of learning technologies in museum environments. in contrast to interface designsfor standard operating systems and applications software, the primary focus of a public interface is to: quickly engage the casual visitor, demonstrate the use of the exhibit, and facilitate their informal learning experiences. Based upon experience in the design of interactive science education exhibits, the author identifies and discusses key interface design Issues including: navigation and content structures, formative evaluation, appropriate application of media, multi-disciplinary design teams, input controllers, and hardware Issues.