A better way to display museum hours By James Robert Watson, PhD The confusion Like many people, I check a museum's website to confirm their operating hours. The web makes it easy to get such info. But, often, the info listed is not a clear, easy-to-comprehend format. The hours listed on different websites are inconsistent formats and the museums are closed on different days. Here are three examples There's gotta be a better way. Considering the increase of information clutter and the desire to find answers quickly and easily, the principles of information graphics might work well here - providing the information in a visual, easy-to-understand format. Sketches I explored a vertical format, but realized that familiar calendars have the days of the week in a horizontal line with the sequence moving from left to right. But, many people are seeking the hours for just one day - "When do they close on Friday?" The hours ought to be within each day's column. Yes, that makes more sense and is easier to understand. Introducing the hours chart The concept is simply a visual graph that clearly denotes days and hours. Objectives • Easy to understand, familiar layout of days. • Adaptable to variety of formats. • Easy to recognize on both webpages and print brochures. • Use minimal amount of space. • Visually convey those days that have late hours. • Legible and easy to read typography • Ability to customize the graphics identity of institution and medium. Features • Don't need am and pm - its quite clear that a museum opens in the morning and closes in the afternoon. • The days are grouped into logical sets - weekdays are grouped together and the weekend is grouped together. That respects the way we live our lives. • Easy to pick out of a busy webpage or brochure. • Easy to understand - familiar images and layout. • Takes up little room. • Adaptable to variety of media, uses, formats. Lesson: Visual images are more appealing, intriguing, and memorable than text. Tip: When feasible, consider using charts, graphs, and other visual images in lieu of text prose. Samples, Existing webpage and proposed Dates Idea and sketches: October 2011 Comps: November 24, 2011 Home • Email Jim Watson • Filename to share: http://www.jamesrobertwatson.com/museumhours.html