Developing interpretive plans workshop
Looking Back, Moving Forward: What We Learned
On 18 June 2014 we gathered at Melbourne Zoo with a room full of interpreters, designers, and visitor experience practitioners to spend a day on one big question: how do you build an interpretive plan that actually changes what visitors think, feel, and do? This workshop, facilitated by Interpretation Australia, provided core lessons on how we shape, plan, prototype, and evaluate interpretation—only now with sharper tools and broader perspectives.
Why that workshop mattered
- The challenge we heard then (and still hear): projects jump to media before agreeing the purpose, audience, and outcomes.
- The opportunity: a simple, shared framework that helps teams align early, choose wisely, and measure what matters.
- The outcome: participants left with practical templates, a repeatable process, and the confidence to say “great idea—does it serve our big idea and outcomes?”
The framework taught (and still used)
Interpretive purpose and audience insights
- Clarify why interpretation is needed now.
- Define primary, secondary, and underserved audiences; sketch quick personas to keep real people in the room.
Crafting the interpretive big idea and key themes
- Distil a single, memorable big idea supported by a tight hierarchy of messages.
- Use the “So what?” test to cut clutter.
Outcome-based interpretation: think/feel/do goals
- Shift the brief from “what we’ll build” to “what visitors will think/feel/do.”
- Write measurable outcomes and decide how you’ll know: observation, short intercepts, dwell time, simple prompts.
Choosing interpretive media and visitor experiences
- Choose media that serve outcomes, accessibility, and operations.
- Balance tactile, social, visual, and quiet modes; plan for care and maintenance.
Implementing, testing, and iterating your interpretive plan
- Phase the work, map risks, and design evaluation in from day one.
- Pilot-test messages with visitors before committing to fabrication.
Heartfelt Associates
Lisa Brochu and Tim Merriman are devoted to natural and cultural heritage and are principals at Heartfelt Associates (www.heartfeltassociates.com) based in Colorado, USA. They offer decades of experience in stewardship, professional development, communication and planning for non-profit organisations. The workshop was based on Lisa’s book Interpretive Planning: the 5-M Model for Successful Planning Projects.
The workshop
Discussion included:
- developing concise mission statements, goals and objectives
- identifying audience characteristics and the market climate for programmes
- clarifying messages using a thematic approach
- assessing the overall visitor experience
