V&A Museum

The logo relates to the architecture, galleries, and collections with its elegance and universal appeal. The Victoria & Albert Museum is one of the world's best art and design museums and houses various types of exhibits. The simplicity of the V&A logo is appropriate because the exhibit has both modern and ancient exhibits and the basic elegance of the logo makes it appropriate for all art forms. The overall essence and energy of the logo is simple, yet sophisticated.


When I walked into the caste courts I was immediately overwhelmed. The room was packed with historical relics and replicas and it was difficult to take everything in and get a good impression of all the artifacts because of the over-crowding. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful statues and architecture in this exhibit. The cast courts were most popular during the 19th century because they allowed museum attendees to view replicas of historical relics from different areas without having to travel and see the real thing. These exhibits provide an educational purpose because viewers can learn about the history of Northern Europe, Spain, and Italy and see the casts first-hand to get an impression of what they were really like.

The icons and symbols represented in the Isotype exhibition have greater personality than the international system of signs because they apply more directly to different diverse cultures, while the international system applies more broadly to humanity. The images are very clear and bold which makes them easy to understand. This method of communication, made up of images and text, allows people to communicate universally because the language barrier is not an issue if there is an image available to refer to. Since these first Isotype graphics, the system of signs has been simplified to apply to the entire world instead of being culturally specific.

The patterns from the Ironwork collections are made entirely of iron and exhibit a black/grey and white (background) appearance. The pattern from the Islamic Middle East collections is much more colorful and has different elements repeated throughout the pattern. The pattern from the Middle East collections is made of tiles, while the ironwork pattern is completely made of iron. The ironwork pattern consists of geometric objects and curvy and straight lines. There is one basic design repeated throughout the ironwork. In the Islamic Middle East tile pattern there are three designs repeated within the pattern. These designs are less geometric and more based on nature and incorporating color. Both designs have a steady repetition and rhythm, but the ironwork pattern is more steady whereas the Islamic pattern is more colorful and a little less repetitive.

The Underground is much more complex than the Metro transportation in Madison. It runs throughout the city in complex passageways and paths. The Metro transportation in Madison is very basic and solely consists of a bus system. There are bus and tube stops all over the city of London. Madison has many buses and bus stops as well, but I have found them to be very confusing and rarely take them because I'm unfamiliar with the system. I've lived in Madison for two years now and have taken the buses there only a few times, whereas I take the London buses and tubes on a daily basis. The underground logo is very bold and recognizable. The Metro logo in Madison is unfamiliar to me because I rarely take the bus, but it looks a bit outdated.

 

My favorite object from the collections is the blown glass chandelier, the Rotunda Chandelier, at the main entrance of the museum. This chandelier was created by artist, Dale Chihuly, and was installed in 2000. This is my favorite object in the museum because it beautifully captures the idea of mixing both historic and modern art. This is emphasized with the bold modernity of the sculpture with the elegant architecture on the surrounding ceiling of the museum. I would return to this object for greater contemplation because it is absolutely stunning to look at and I cannot comprehend how someone could make something so beautiful. I would like to study and learn how it was made and how they were able to hang such a huge sculpture from the ceiling of the museum.

 

 

 

Science Museum

The logo relates to the mission by being clear and easy to read, while keeping a modern and robotic-like type face. It is appropriate for the audience because it appears to be science related by using a typical decoding font. The logo, for the most part, is appropriate for all audiences, but at times it is used to playfully interact with images and shapes in the museum and appears more juvenile. Throughout the museum the logo, title wall, and text panels have a similar font that is clear and easy to read. The museum also incorporates scientific images and themes into the various title walls. I think the logo suits the museum very well because it is modern and playful while being clear, easy to read, and creative.

The Science Museum does a very good job navigating people throughout the museum. On the title walls and preceding exhibits there are clear directions and labels that point the attendees in the correct direction. The signs adequately navigate users by being bold, easy to read, and impossible to miss. These signs are creatively incorporated throughout the museum to relate to the various themes of the exhibits. I found the museum plan to be a bit awkward and hard to manage. The first four exhibits were reached by stairs and easy to access and find. However, the Psychology and Medical History exhibits were more difficult to find because they were off in a completely different area of the museum. The map did help, but I still found the layout to be a bit confusing. The museum plan allows for several paths, but basically only by steps or elevator on the upper floors. The map was legible for navigation and assisted in finding my way around the museum.

The shop and cafe extend to the brand being used throughout the museum. Both the cafe and shop are easy to find and two of the first things seen when entering the ground floor of the museum. Both title walls are used with the same font as the logo and are large and easy to find and access. The cafe provides the means for a break while looking through the museum and to rest after climbing numerous stairs to exhibits. The shop is a great way for the museum to make more money and help attendees to further understand the themes with various gifts, games, and puzzles. Most of the items in the shop are directed towards adolescents, but there are items available for all ages.

The display cases encompass different purposes in the various exhibits of the museum. The ground floor, psychology exhibit, and medical history exhibit all serve to display items and artifacts while preserving their authenticity and keeping them away from public interaction. These floors and exhibits function to protect the items being exhibited. Other exhibits in the museum function for playful interaction with the public, such as the "Who Am I?" exhibit which allows for visitors to play games and answer surveys in order to get a better sense of the human body. The text is integrated into the displays in different ways throughout the museum. In those exhibits that serve to protect, the text panels are generally along side the artifact with an explanation and definition. In the hands-on exhibits, the text is often incorporated with the game and informs the visitor by means of technology and various display screens.

My favorite exhibit was the "Who Am I?" exhibit. This was my favorite because I found it very interesting and was able to learn things about the human body by playing games and interacting with exhibits in the museum. This exhibit was very colorful and easy to manage. It discussed things such as the history of the human body, genealogy, and the future of humans. This exhibit was memorable because of the information presented within it and the unique way it was displayed. The entire exhibit appeared very modern and creative.

There was a vast amount of important information and facts that were displayed throughout the museum. I learned about the history of medicine throughout different cultures of the world and about the history of psychology and the different methods of psychoanalysis that various psychiatrists, such as Freud, used in their studies. I also enjoyed the plasticity exhibit that displayed various methods of preserving the environment by incorporating less harmful artifacts into our daily life. The "Who Am I?" exhibit displayed the DNA of humans and informed me that my DNA is as long as 4 novels combined and that different animals hold similar DNA to me. Another critical thing that I learned was how important display, title walls, and the layout of a museum are to its success. I had never thought about it before, but attending a museum with these elements in mind helped me to analyze its flaws and strong-points.

Science Museum