Animation showing the process of analyzing and redesigning the structure of the gallery space.
This project breaks down the exhibition into four interrelated dimensions: Curation, Space, Graphic Design, and Multimodal Interactivity. These layers serve as lenses to examine how the gallery’s design influences what visitors encounter, understand, and feel.
Through this layered analysis, a series of structural gaps were identified that impact narrative coherence and accessibility. These findings led to the conceptualization of a redesign, using the same four-layer framework to propose integrated changes across curatorial, spatial, visual, and sensory elements.
The method developed here is both analytical and projective. It enables a collaborative approach to exhibition making, one that supports more coherent and inclusive storytelling by working across disciplinary boundaries from the outset.
The curatorial layer defines the intellectual and narrative structure of the exhibition. It determines how objects are grouped, ordered, and contextualized to construct a coherent story, whether chronological, thematic, or geographical. This layer shapes the way visitors understand the collection, guiding them through time, place, and meaning.
What is the current situation?
The Islamic Arts Gallery follows a chronological-geographical structure, divided into eight sections from the Umayyads to the Ottomans. Yet this structure is often undermined in practice as visitor paths frequently diverge from the intended sequence, with many entering from the mezzanine, encountering chapters in reverse or out of order.
Floor plan showing the curatorial path (dashed) alongside visitor trajectories (solid), overlaid with the gallery’s eight narrative chapters.
Floor plan showing 33 visitor trajectories (in red) layered with the intended curatorial path. Hollow arrows indicate official entry points.
In addition, the spatial distribution of objects reveals a strong imbalance. A large portion of the collection originates from Iran, and these objects are concentrated in one zone of the gallery. This not only disrupts the geographical flow but also exposes gaps in the overall narrative, particularly for regions underrepresented or absent from the display.
Mapping of exhibited objects across the gallery floorplan, with objects from Iran highlighted in red.
How was information design used?
Information design tools translated curatorial and spatial issues into visual evidence. Through mapping object provenance and visitor trajectories, patterns of imbalance and narrative confusion became clear. This made structural weaknesses visible, not just conceptually, but spatially and statistically, providing a grounded basis for rethinking the exhibition flow.
What did we learn and propose?
The visual analyses shifted the focus: the problem lay not in visitor behavior or collection gaps alone, but in a curatorial narrative that was not fully supported by the spatial design. In response, a new curatorial path was developed to reorganize the chapters and redistribute key objects. Rather than enforcing a strict order, the new structure introduces smoother transitions and embraces thematic flexibility. It seeks to align curatorial intent with the physical and perceptual rhythm of the gallery.
The redesigned narrative unfolds through seven thematic chapters:
I. Aesthetics and the Pursuit of Beauty
II. The Symbolism of Nature
III. The Significance of Writing
IV. Material Culture and Economic Networks
V. Trade Routes and Cross-Cultural Exchanges
VI. Spiritual Practices and Religious Diversity
VII. The Stages of Life: Birth, Marriage, and Death
Mapping of exhibited objects across the gallery floorplan, with objects from Iran highlighted in red.
The spatial layer refers to the physical layout of the exhibition, the structure, circulation paths, and architectural elements that shape how visitors move through and perceive the space. It includes entrances, display cases, visibility lines, and the overall flow, all of which contribute to or hinder accessibility, legibility, and comfort.
What is the current situation?
The Islamic Arts Gallery is a long, narrow hall (54 × 14 m) with a high ceiling and a mashrabiyya screen filtering natural light. While the space is visually striking and contemplative, its layout poses major challenges. Two rows of massive horizontal display cases dominate the central axis, limiting movement and fragmenting circulation. These cases also restrict visibility and are difficult to access for wheelchair users. In addition, the only accessible entrance requires navigating multiple other galleries, further complicating access.
3D architectural accessibility analysis of the gallery, with stairs and inaccessible display cases highlighted in red and entrances access in blue.
How was information design used?
We used a combination of spatial discourse mapping, architectural accessibility analysis, and space syntax tools. These tools helped make legible the spatial bottlenecks, accessibility gaps, and circulation imbalances.
Spatial integration map (Space Syntax) showing high movement potential along the mezzanine wall, while central display cases create low-accessibility zones that interrupt circulation and marginalize nearby areas.
What did we learn and propose?
The space, though elegant, enforces a rigid and exclusionary visitor experience. We proposed a spatial reconfiguration that opens central paths and removes obstructive display cases. This is reinforced with the curatorial restructuration that allows entrance from either side of the gallery. This improves sightlines, encourages organic movement, and restores spatial coherence between the gallery’s three main axes. These changes support a more inclusive and navigable exhibition.
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3D rendering of the redesigned gallery layout. The removal of obstructive central display cases opens circulation, enhances spatial cohesion, and improves accessibility for all visitors.
Space Syntax analysis of the redesigned gallery layout, showing improved central visibility, softened circulation paths, and a more balanced spatial distribution.
The graphic design layer supports navigation and interpretation within the gallery. It includes all textual and visual communication tools, from signage and wall texts to object labels, and plays a key role in how visitors engage with content, whether through guided or exploratory modes.
What is the current situation?
The gallery suffers from a lack of graphic structuring and poor wayfinding. External signs are outdated or absent, and interior textual mediation lacks coherence. There are no clear visual cues to identify sections or guide the visitor through the curatorial logic.
Despite a nominal hierarchy (room texts, thematic panels, object labels), the system lacks visual consistency. Visitors with different exploration styles struggle to orient themselves or access information at their preferred depth. This undermines narrative clarity and limits the exhibition’s interpretive flexibility.
How was information design used?
Graphic elements were mapped according to hierarchy levels (L1–L3), location, and legibility. Their spatial distribution and typographic treatment were evaluated based on accessibility and coherence. Visitor interviews helped identify reading styles and their relationship to current display structures.
Structure of the current graphic system.
What did we learn and propose?
The current graphic system lacks narrative orientation and fails to accommodate diverse visitor engagement styles. To address this, a new hierarchical structure was developed to support both guided and exploratory visits:
L1 (Introductory panels): repositioned and redesigned for visibility, lighting, and clarity
L2 (Thematic markers): placed at key narrative transitions to support contextual framing
L3 (Object labels): standardized for legibility, contrast, and font size consistency
Additional graphic cues were to be integrated to improve orientation and accessibility, including icons for rest areas, sensory engagement points, and the children’s corner. This layered system creates flexible entry points and reinforces the curatorial narrative through clear, accessible design.
Structure of the restructured graphic system.
Text Level 1: Context through Time
Text Level 1: Context through Space
Text Level 2: chapter Introductions
Text Level 3: Specific Contextualization and Highlights
Text Level 4: Object Labels
Before and after mock-ups illustrating the redesigned graphic system across all interpretive levels
The multimodal interactivity layer considers how exhibitions engage multiple senses, beyond sight, through sound, touch, movement, and digital interfaces. It includes all non-visual narrative elements that support interpretation and deepen experiential understanding.
What is the current situation?
While the gallery was initially designed to include multisensory elements, such as audioguides and interactive displays, most are no longer active or accessible. The Ibn Khaldun audio guide, once central to the narrative experience, is out of service. Ambient sounds, specifically made for the exhibition, are limited to faint spillover from the mezzanine, often drowned out by ventilation.
As for interactive components, such as the children’s zone and the digital map, those are also non-functional, and sensory elements like touchable materials or scent have never been fully implemented.
In addition, the spatial distribution of objects reveals a strong imbalance. A large portion of the collection originates from Iran, and these objects are concentrated in one zone of the gallery. This not only disrupts the geographical flow but also exposes gaps in the overall narrative, particularly for regions underrepresented or absent from the display.
How was information design used?
We spatially mapped all multimodal content, visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory, and identified which elements were active, inactive, or missing. This revealed a strong imbalance, with most zones relying solely on visual interpretation. These insights guided the proposal for a richer, more inclusive sensory layer throughout the gallery.
Map of gallery media types. Red marks audio elements, black shows visual media, and hollow icons indicate nonfunctional features which highlights the gaps in multimodal engagement.
What did we learn and propose?
The current graphic system lacks narrative orientation and fails to accommodate diverse visitor engagement styles. To address this, a new hierarchical structure was developed to support both guided and exploratory visits:
Reinstated audio with curated soundscapes and stories
Tactile material samples to support embodied learning
Subtle scents in themed zones evoke context (e.g., botanical perfumes, spices)
Rest zones integrated into the spatial rhythm
A redesigned children’s area within the main gallery
Digital extensions for deeper engagement (e.g., scrollable object stories, multilingual guides)
These additions aim to reanimate the narrative through bodily, emotional, and auditory channels, making the gallery more inclusive and memorable.
Floorplan mapping sensory and interactive features in the redesigned gallery. Icons indicate locations for audio, scent, tactile elements, rest areas, and the children's zone.
This section presents a transferable method for implementing exhibition redesigns based on the insights from this research. The method aligns curatorial, spatial, graphic, and sensory decisions from the very start of a project to support coherent and accessible storytelling.
What is the current challenge?
Exhibition development is often fragmented, with different teams working in silos. This leads to inconsistencies between curatorial content, spatial layout, graphic elements, and sensory interpretation—ultimately impacting visitor experience. Accessibility and coherence are frequently addressed too late in the process.
How was information design used?
Information design was used to structure a cross-layered framework that aligns content, space, visuals, and interaction into a coherent visitor experience. It is based on three intersecting dimensions:
Narrative layers:
As seen above, these include the Curation, Space, Graphic Design, and Multimodal Interactivity.
Development phases:
Team responsibilities:
C – Curator: content, themes, object selection
E – Exhibition designer: integrates curatorial, spatial, graphic, and sensory layers
P – Public programs & accessibility: audience needs, inclusion, education
A – Architect: spatial layout, structural integration
G – Graphic designer: visual communication, signage, labels
M – Multimedia designer: digital, audiovisual, and interactive components
The framework made it possible to break down disciplinary silos, clarify overlapping responsibilities, and sequence interventions so that narrative coherence and accessibility could be addressed from the beginning. The model was applied to the redesign of the Art of the Islamic World Gallery and is intended to be transferable to other exhibition contexts. This model was used to structure the redesign of the Islamic Arts Gallery, but it can be applied to other exhibition contexts.
Design Implementation Matrix:
Key Phases, Main Tasks, and Roles
This project explored how information design can contribute to more coherent and accessible museum storytelling. By analyzing the Islamic Arts Gallery through four narrative layers, curation, space, graphic design, and multimodal interaction, it revealed structural and interpretive gaps that affect visitor orientation, understanding, and engagement.
Information design was used not only to visualize these issues, but also to develop a layered redesign that aligns spatial form with curatorial intention, and content with audience needs. Each intervention responds to a specific challenge, yet together they form a holistic rethinking of the gallery experience.
To bring such a redesign to life, a more integrated way of working is needed, one that embeds accessibility, narrative clarity, and design logic from the earliest stages of exhibition planning. This calls for a multidisciplinary implementation process, where curators, designers, mediators, and accessibility specialists work together in a coordinated workflow. This would involve:
Cross-disciplinary collaboration from concept to delivery
Tools that connect object data, floorplans, and narrative layers
Iterative testing with diverse audiences
Flexible design systems that adapt over time
By framing information design as both a method of analysis and a strategy for action, this project offers a scalable model for developing richer, more inclusive exhibitions, not just for this gallery, but for curatorial practice more broadly.