Visualizing Collections Using Generous Interfaces

Whitelaw describes a scenario where you visit a museum for the first time and only have limited knowledge of the collection. The attendant at the front desk asks you to enter a query on a piece of paper, and then retrieves matching objects in sets of 10 at a time for you to view. This experience is basically analogous to a search interface. Search works well when you know what you are looking for and just need help finding it. On the other hand, search is an extremely poor experience for discovery and exploration — a “stingy interface” to use Whitelaw’s term. What if instead of the above scenario, you could explore rooms filled with objects on display, organized by topic and period, with engaging captions and docent tours? That would constitute a more “generous” approach, and lead anyone to engage on a much deeper level with a collection. <a href="https://medium.com/schemadesignstudio/gist-visualizing-collections-using-generous-interfaces-b9da44341c66">Website</a>