The Art of VIsitor Experience
Surveys: stop wasting everyone’s time.
When it comes to crafting a member or customer survey, the temptation is real: let’s ask all the things. After all, we… Read more
A New Tool in Interpretive Planning
A PESTLE analysis helps you understand and communicate the things that influence the future of interpretation at your site. Read more
Interpretive Writing Cage Match: You vs Chat GPT 4o.
Recently I wrote that I have been using AI for a lot of my work functions: summarizing data, cleaning up text, and… Read more
Pricing your programs and exhibits: what you need to know
Pricing your interpretive products can be tricky, but it’s critical to get right. There are a few different ways to approach it,… Read more
Social science: the only good data is actionable data.
What are we supposed to do with all this information? In interpretive planning, identifying target markets has become standard practice. We’ve all… Read more
Interpreters and the art of small talk
Does conversation with strangers come easily to you? If you’re like a lot of interpreters, I’m guessing not. You’d think, being professional… Read more
Let’s keep talking about AI in interpretation.
AI in interpretation: a year later About a year ago, I wrote a post about artificial intelligence (AI) and how I was… Read more
Dear Don: How do we stop the dysfunction?
Friends: I am pleased to run a new instalment in my Dear Don series. This is a letter from a front-line interpreter.… Read more
Revenue generation in the heritage sector
Revenue generation in the heritage sector has challenges. Here are some thoughts from professionals working in the field. Read more
Aquatic conservation outreach: What works?
Thoughts from fellow professionals A while back, I posted a question for my fellow interpretive professionals: what works and what doesn’t work… Read more
A Sample ‘What We Heard’ Report
Here is a real-world example of a ‘What We Heard’ report from a relatively small community engagement process. For more details on… Read more
How to write a great ‘What We Heard’ report
Why I’m passionate about ‘What We Heard’ reports A little over a year ago I was commissioned to do the data analysis… Read more
Preparing for DEI Backlash in the Heritage Sector
As many of you are undoubtedly aware, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are facing increasing scrutiny and resistance. This trend is… Read more
Making a Case for Interpretive Programming
If you want to demonstrate to your manager that interpretive staff really matter, ask your visitors this question. Read more
Your passion is your unique selling point.
Thinking of being a freelancer? Define your passion and you’ll define your unique selling point—the thing that sets you apart. Read more
Interpretive signs: how long is too long?
When planning interpretive signs, how do you know how long is too long? Here are some ways to increase your audience’s attention… Read more
A More Efficient Visitor Experience Strategy
About ten years ago, park and historic site planners in Canada began expanding the classic Interpretive Master Planning process into a larger… Read more
Beef Up Your SWOT Analysis.
In my never-ending quest to become the world’s best interpretive planner, I’m constantly evaluating the tools that I use. One of a… Read more
New Tools for Defining Essence of Place
One of the planning techniques I have been using a lot as an interpretive planner and visitor experience advisor is defining essence… Read more
Starting Out on the Right Foot
In the nature and cultural heritage sectors, evaluation is a dying art. Here’s how to do a basic front-end evaluation and use… Read more
Build a Better Brainstorm
Are your creative workshops not producing the kind of brilliance you need? Try imposing tighter creative constraints. Read more
Structuring an Interpretive Program
I have seen a lot of interpretive programs in my career. I mean, a lot. I started supervising seasonal interpreters in 1988;… Read more
Interpreters, we need to talk about AI
If you’re not worried about what artificial intelligence means to our profession, you’re probably not paying attention. When I was a kid,… Read more
The Myth of Two-way Interpretation
It’s only two-way if you’re actually listening to what they tell you. Read more
When to do Consultation in Heritage Tourism
When in doubt, consult. Trust me on this one. Read more
The Fine Art of Firing Volunteers
Yes, firing volunteers is a thing. No, you shouldn’t do it lightly. I have had the pleasure of working with volunteers in… Read more
Diversification is hard. Here’s how to strategize.
As a visitor experience planner, market analysis is part of what I do. That is to say, I help parks, museums, aquariums,… Read more
Social Media: A Method to the Madness
If you are a manager in the cultural or natural history sector, you’ve probably got staff madly working on social media. Maybe… Read more
We don’t need to endorse in order to interpret.
We need to stop making excuses for the historical figures we interpret. You’re an interpreter, not an apologist. Read more
Is it a language or a dialect? It’s… political.
As an interpretive writer doing a lot of cultural interpretation lately, I find I am writing a lot about language. Indigenous languages,… Read more