In Zen art, the enso represents enlightenment, strength, and elegance. At Museum Insights, we've adopted the enso because it represents our goal for every planning project: new understandings and elegant solutions that stand the test of time.
What is a Museum Master Plan?
A Museum Master Plan typically comes after a strategic planning process that has identified the need for major change. Master Plans are focused on a museum's vision, and look ten to twenty years in the future. The finished plan becomes a roadmap for any museum or cultural organization considering changes to who it serves, its business model, or its facilities. If a museum is thinking about a building project, a Museum Master Plan is a critical step before the architectural and exhibition plans that detail specifics. Our plans help clients get the spaces they need to fulfill their mission and serve their constituents effectively.
In many ways, the master planning process is more important than the plan itself. The planning process immerses the museum's stakeholders in every part of a museum's potential future operations, including exhibits, collections, and programs and asks them to think about how the museum can make the most impact. We believe that one of the most important planning outcomes is building consensus within the staff and the board around the museum's future direction. Our plans give both staff and board the tools they need to fully understand and articulate the museum's future direction to stakeholders and funders.
You can download a detailed description of our work process here.
Why Invest in a Museum Master Plan?
Planning is cheap. Executing is expensive. Taking the time to develop a Museum Master Plan allows a museum to think through and test alternatives before commitments are made to changes in operations and focus, and before beginning new design and construction. Rather than jumping to conclusions, we dig in and explore multiple alternatives until we find the simple, elegant solution that best meets the museum's needs. A Museum Master Plan often results in a new programmatic direction or a new business model, and often becomes the foundation for a fundraising campaign. It is also is the first step for museums planning a new building or a major expansion.
Why Not Hire an Architect?
If a museum is planning a new building, why not hire an architect right away? Architects can take on some aspects of museum planning, but ultimately, their interest and focus will always be on the design of a new building. At Museum Insights, we are Museum Master Planners. That's all we do. It means that we focus on understanding your needs, the people your museum serves, and defining the spaces that elegantly address both front and back of house needs. Our goal is to bring clarity to the planning process and give museum staff and board members the tools to advocate for the museum's needs once it hires an architect.
