The Tech Virtual Open Source Exhibit Design: Questions and Answers

What is this project?  Where does Second Life fit in?

• This project and workshop is a collection of tools meant to allow people to collaborate on interactive exhibit design.  There are two major tools at your disposal:
• This website: http://www.thetechvirtual.org.  On the "projects" page, you can propose an exhibit project and work on the text concepts on the project pages.
  
• The Second Life platform.  At the virtual Tech Museum (go there directly with this slurl), you can prototype your exhibit in 3D and discuss it with others in this virtual workspace.

How Do I Participate?

• You may start your own project to create an exhibit (click on the orange Projects tab, above, and then on Create a Project).
• You may ask to join an existing project (click on the Projects tab to choose a project. Once you have clicked on the project you want to join, click Join This Project).  If you click on the orange Help Wanted tab you may find a project that is looking for someone with your particular skills.
  
• You may make comments and suggestions on the projects others have started.
• You may register on the site (click the Join link on the right of the orange navigation bar) as a way to look around and keep informed.
• You may go to The Tech in Second Life to view prototypes in progress, participate in classes and brainstorming meetings.
  

What's In This for Me?

In a word, recognition. You can display your exhibit in the Tech Virtual Museum. You have a chance to have your exhibit built for the floor of one of the world's major museums. You have a chance to be selected by a world-class jury.  This is also a great professional development opportunity to hook up with other creative thinkers, artists, and museum designers, and to learn how to use some newfangled design and collaboration tools.

How Much Exposure Will My Exhibit Get?

The best virtual exhibits will be selected and built by The Tech for inclusion in its up-coming exhibitions.  This is a perfect way for educators, desingers, and museum professionals to contribute in a very direct way to the content of major science centers thoughout the world.  The Tech Virtual is supported by press releases and attention from a host of international industry blogs and magazines.  Upcoming exhibition topics in 2008-2009 include "Art - Film - Music - Games" and "Program for the Future". There will also be an opportunity to design an educational challenge for youth in support of the annual "Tech Challenge".   With all these opportunities there are lots of ways to contribute on many levels and work with international talent.  For a list of articles and press releases, check the press page.

When Will the Judging Take Place?

Judging is scheduled for individual competitions.  Check each competition's description page for these details.

What Are the Guidelines?

While each exhibition or competition will have its own detailed guidelines, the basics are:
1. The exhibit should be on-topic. Highlight one or more of the technologies in the curent topic, in a way that makes them meaningful and accessible.
2. The exhibit should be inspiring.  It should make museum visitors realize that the technologies to make a better world are not out of reach, but all around us.  It should make them want to get involved in their own communities and in the world.
3. The exhibit should be interactive. It should not rely on docent explanations or a lot of documentation for visitor to understand it.
4. The exhibit should be educational.  It should have 1 or more goals which are stated as specific learning objectives.  These could include understanding of a) how the featured technology actually works, b) any global problem it may address, and c) how it provides a solution.
5. If there is a connection that can be made with Silicon Valley (companies, local uses for the technology, individuals involved, etc.), that is a plus.
6. The exhibit should be feasible to build in real life.
7. The exhibit concept will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (you agreed to this when you joined the Website) and the virtual exhibit must be built with full copy-modify-transfer permissions.
8. If you need more information to build your exhibit, please contact a Tech Staff member, we may have just the information you need!

What Does This Have To Do With Open Source?

The goal of The Tech Virtual Open Source is to create an open source collection of science-based exhibit concepts which can be used by science learning centers all over the world.  By using the collaborative technologies enabled by virtual worlds such as Second Life, we conceptualize, build, test, and plan all aspects of exhibit and gallery design. 

In this way, designers and educators from a diverse international community are able to contribute their work to make this possible, and are credited with their part in the design.  Previously curators and exhibit designers had to work within the confines of their own museums and imaginations.  Now, we have a truly interactive and real-time environment in which to develop concepts into ideas with only a fraction of the investment in time, travel, trial and error.  Experience has proven that developing in an open format creates more solid ideas faster while improving the the overall abilities of designers involved.

I Don't Know Anything About Second Life. How Do I Sign Up?

You're not alone: and we're ready to give you lots of support. To sign up, see How To Get Started With Second Life . Finally, this site is a collaboration. We will connect you with others with Second Life skills to help prototype your ideas.