The Importance of Labeling

Actually doing it

Picture
Labeling is not simply creating a couple sentences on a piece of paper and placing it next to an exhibit, it is a much more complicated process which takes planning and experience.  A visitor cannot simple look at an object and automatically know its function and features, a label’s job is to provide “information a museum patron needs in order to know what an item is and put it in context” (Pendleton).  When developing labels for a museum, it is important to have a unified labeling system in which labels match and look alike.  This practice gives the museum and its exhibits a unified look which conveys a professional view to the visitors; each label should not have a different fonts, backgrounds, images etc., this makes the museum look unorganized.  Is it really that important to have a matching labeling system?  As an artist in New York states, “the words on explanatory labels will […] govern what many museum visitors see” (Tufte).  If labels govern what people see then the creators should take time to think and reflect on the message they are conveying.  I believe an exhibit coincides with its accompanying label; a label can make or break an exhibit’s popularity and success.
   
Important things to keep in mind while labeling include being concise, writing enthusiastically, writing to be understood, and being as clear as possible!  As stated by a professional, “you have to grab the visitor’s attention right away” who later adds “the object is to entice them to read as many words as you can;” because not all words of a label are read (Kenny).  There is a definite challenge in creating a label that covers all these things and applies to a wide audience, so I have constructed a list of 6 things I think are important in creating a productive label.


Picture