Front-End Evaluation

When a well-established urban history museum planned a move into the center of its city, Institute evaluators launched a study to find out how members and visitors felt about the move - and more importantly, how the museum might address their concerns. An intensive front-end evaluation gave the museum clear direction for how to prepare for visitor needs such as ample parking, on-site dining, and even convenient bus routes, paving the way for a successful move.

As the term implies, front-end evaluation takes place in the initial planning phrase of a project to enable your design and development teams to make informed decisions. You may need to find out how your community feels about the subject-matter of an upcoming exhibition, define your museum's audience to better promote a new program, or identify potential obstacles to visitor learning. The Institute's staff can help you clarify your evaluation goals and undertake these studies on your behalf.

Examples of ILI front-end evaluations include:

• National Museum of American Jewish History , Philadelphia, PA. During the development of the museum's new building and core exhibition, ILI collected front-end data from target visitor populations at regional sites to better understanding future visitors' familiarity with and interest in potential themes of the upcoming exhibit.

• Wild Research - Miami University, Oxford, OH; Cincinnati Zoo and Botanic Garden, Cincinnati, OH. Project Dragonfly at Miami University and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden will develop and implement a whole-zoo approach to the public understanding of science through inquiry-driven exhibits, participatory learning media, educational programming, and a global professional development program for zoo staff. A front-end evaluation program was undertaken to ascertain visitors' thoughts on what makes a zoo visit unique and the types of learning and interactivity that would interest them.

• Mammals Hall - National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. As part of a major renovation of its 25,000-square foot Mammals Hall, the NMNH engaged ILI to conduct a front-end evaluation research to determine how visitors will make connections with the proposed themes and topics to be presented in the exhibition.

• Asian Gallery Reinstallation - Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH. As part of an institution-wide reinstallation project, the museum worked with ILI to evaluate its East Asian collection. A front-end evaluation was developed to capture visitors' interest, knowledge, and perceptions of proposed themes and topics for the reinstallation. The study was designed to inform interpretive decisions in creating the best possible experience from the visitor perspective.

• Las Vegas Springs Preserve - Las Vegas, NV. Working with The Portico Group and Aldrich Pears Associates, ILI implemented front-end evaluation research which addressed visitors' general perceptions, knowledge levels, and attitudes towards living in the desert and, more specifically, how people interpret and relate to the main concept areas and stories proposed for the project.