Frequently Asked Questions (Answers below)

INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT DEVELOPMENT
What are the most common 'devices of interaction'?
What are the most important things to remember when developing a new computer based interactive exhibit?
How long does it take to develop an interactive exhibit?

COST OF INTERACTIVE EXHIBITRY
What is the average cost of an interactive exhibit?
How can we save money on interactive exhibit components?
Does Mystus offer any special deals?
What are the hidden costs when including interactive components in an exhibition?

RELIABILITY AND MAINTENANCE
How reliable are computer based exhibits?
How do I know that the exhibit will work how I want?
Can I update or change the exhibit easily in a few years?

THE LANGUAGE OF INTERACTIVITY
What can you do with interactive exhibits that you can't do with traditional static exhibits?
What do you think makes a good exhibit.

ABOUT MYSTUS INTERACTUS
Where did Mystus get its name and what does it mean?
How long have you been in business?
How many people work at Mystus?
Where is Toronto?

What are the most common 'devices of interaction'?
Devices of interaction are physical devices that allow the visitor to interact with the exhibit. These include exterior contact points such as buttons, knobs, and other objects the visitor uses to operate aspects of the exhibit. The interior elements are mostly electrical or mechanical. The most common devices of interaction are...
Pushbuttons - Arcade Momentary, Membrane, Touch Capacitative
Computer Interfaces -Touch Screens, Track Balls, The Mouse, Voice Recognition
Electronic Sensors - Motion Detectors, Proximity Sensors, Distance Sensor, Optical Sensors
Mechanical - Dials, Levers, Push, Pull, Lift, Drop, Coin Mechanisms
Audio - CD Player, Audio on a Chip, Handsets, Hearphones, Headphones, Speakers (Flush, Cone, Mushroom, Wall Mount, Water Resistant)
Video - Laserdisc, DVD, Desktop Computer, Video Cameras
Multimedia - Graphics, Photographs, Animation, Random Access, Simulations, Information Delivery, Archive Displays, OCR, Printouts, Emailing Results, Can include audio and video
Mechanical - Working Models, Phenomenon
Microprocessors - Use these in place of dedicated electronics to get more control with less parts. They are more reliable because we use the same parts over and over.
Desktop Computers - Lots of memory, fast decision making, data acquisition/storage/retrieval, stats gathering
Electronics - Low voltage DC, Spare boards, Standard parts, Testing, RF Controls, Infrared controls
Networking - Monitor exhibit function, Collect data on exhibit usage, Update information in the exhibit, Link experiences in different exhibits
Housings - Require good access and ventilation for interactive components.

What are the most important things to remember when developing a new interactive exhibit?
Prototype! Prototype! Prototype!
- Try it out before you design and fabricate.
Use visitor testing to verify concept and functionality
- It is surprising how visitors will actually respond, best to absorb that into your design as early as possible.
Design with maintenance in mind
- A great exhibit is one thing, but a great exhibit that lasts a long time is infinitely better.
Identify the method of maintenance for each component
- Think through your worst case scenario and solve for that situation. Your exhibit will be infinitely better because you did.
Housings require good ventilation & access to hardware
- Don’t let a small blip become a big problem by limiting access to components. Overheating and static discharge are the two big enemies of electronic hardware failure.
Use readily available off-the-shelf equipment wherever possible
- This saves time and money during development and if a repair is ever needed it’s cheap and easy.
Use last year's technology
- Cutting edge technology comes with cutting edge risks. Use proven technology.
Make sure the building has clean power
- Electronic gear can be very sensitive to clean, spike free power, especially computer equipment.
Destruction testing
- If you don’t destruction test your exhibit, your visitor will. Will it stand up? People do what they do, not always what they should do.
Teach the language of the exhibit in the exhibit
- It’s not always obvious to the visitor what they are supposed to do. If they don’t know what to do they just walk away confused and disappointed.
Remember that industry experts are not museum exhibit experts
- Making good exhibits a rare and specific talent. When working with content experts remember that they are not familiar with gruelling museum environments, nor the very limited attention span of most visitors.
Do your documentation
- Information at front of mind now will be quickly forgotten when the next project starts. Good documentation can mean the difference between an exhibit that lasts forever and one that is tossed aside at the first bend in the road.
Design for minimized downtimes
- This is part of the art of exhibitmaking. No one likes it when an exhibit is down. Minimize the pain. Have a plan.
Stock spare parts
- Pay the extra little bit for peace of mind.
Minimize moving parts
- An effective way to minimize exhibit failure.
Capture the user's attention in less than ten seconds
- Creating a great exhibit is a little like writing a pop song. Your visitor will only give you 10 seconds to make it worth their while to continue.
Develop your exhibit as a combination of modular components
- Another trick for minimizing downtimes and quickly debugging a repair situation.
Simple is good but not at the expense of content
- ‘Too Much’ clouds the inspiration but ‘Less is More’ only if it tells the whole story.
Use quick disconnects in all cabling
- A little maintainability trick. This allows components to be easily swapped and or returned for repair.
Schedule to allow settle in time
- Most glitches occur in the first few weeks of operation. Plan to be around to tweak these before sending the exhibit on its way. Even better let it run for a few weeks in the shop before it goes anywhere.

How long does it take to develop an interactive exhibit?
At Mystus we ask for 12-16 weeks to design, develop and deliver the average interactive exhibit including a custom housing, depending on complexity and size of the project. For the active components only we ask for 8-12 weeks. We often times deliver in shorter times but this can affect the price and the ability to include content that requires research. Exhibit duplicates can be produced in 2/3 the time as they need not be prototyped.

What is the average cost of an interactive exhibit?
The price varies widely and is affected by how much development time is needed, whether the exhibit requires a housing, shipping costs, complexity, copyright fees, whether we install it or not etc. We've produced small audio handset interactives for as little as $2500 CDN ($1725 US) but also major computer and mechanical hybrid exhibits for $200,000 CDN ( $148,000 US). We're pretty fast at quoting on a specific project once we know the details and due to our low overheads usually offer a lower than average price. Give us a call or drop us an email.

How can I save money on interactive exhibit components?
Using off the shelf components where possible can reduce costs significantly. Keep the feature list on a project to a manageable level. Don't try to put too much into one exhibit. Simple = less expensive. Rely on prototyping to address issues early that could cost a lot in changes made later. Most of all, plan the function and content of an exhibit well to reduce changes during the development process. Changes are expensive and get more expensivethe later they are in the process.

Does Mystus offer any special deals?
The best deals are exhibits that use components similar to those we've developed for other exhibits. A look at our portfolio and product sections can give you ideas about components and features we can reconfigure to suit a new concept at a lower cost.

What are the hidden costs when including interactive components in an exhibition?
Maintenance costs is a common one. It’s not usually a lot of money but always painful as often not budgeted for. Minor changes in design can have major influence in reducing maintenance costs. See our tips above for making exhibits more robust and easier to maintain. Design considerations should also include consumable supplies like paper for a printer. Another surprise cost is that of securing the right to reproduce copyrighted items such as photos, video and music. On site installation, depending how the design is done, can take quite a while in some cases and working in a remote location away from studio and shop tools slows things down. Try to design as modularly as possible and test things out in as close to final a setup as possible before shipping.

How reliable are computer based exhibits?
There was a time when computer exhibits needed a lot of attention. Computers these days though are very good. And the authoring environments with which we create custom programs are much better now too. One thing nice about software based exhibits - once a program is working it doesn't 'break'. Besides desktop computers we use small microprocessor controllers - a computer on a chip basically. We use these for dedicated control operations typically with electronic sensors and displays. We've yet to have to replace one of these in the field once the exhibit is installed and tested and has been left alone. The worst enemies of computer based exhibits are heat buildup and static discharge, both deadly, the first slowly and the second instantly. A note about troubleshooting; You generally can't see what's wrong in a computer based exhibit. You have to follow a procedure of testing isolated components and swapping in spare parts in performing a reapir. Usually the problem is traced to a connection that has come loose due to movement of the equipment.

How do I know that the exhibit will work how I want it to?
We rely heavily on prototyping and visitor testing techniques to try things out as early as possible in the development process. Our clients review the prototypes before the design is committed to fabrication. We also use a stepped fabrication process. For complex exhibits the client is invited to review the exhibit at several points during fabrication. Incidentally, we apply the concepts of prototyping to all aspects of the exhibit so even graphic development has a prototype stage. For graphics we call it style design but it's the same animal.

Can we update or change the exhibit easily in a few years?
This is usually a design issue. We recommend moulding the design such that this is possible, and it usually is possible. To this end we recommend using sub-components that have a long life expectancy and are inherently flexible in their application. We also tend to put the customization of an exhibit into the software, while using standard hardware. Software is infinitely easier to update than hardware.

What can you do with interactive exhibits that you can't do with traditional static exhibits?
Interactive exhibits have two advantages and one disadvantage. Interactive exhibits can present information in response to the visitors choices. This allows for an exhibit to alter it's delivery for different interests and abilities, for different ages, for different languages etc. Secondly, interactive exhibits can move and change in time. Some concepts are best grasped by seeing a phenomena unfold. Its one disadvantage is that there are quite often moving parts which require more maintenance and often inherently cost more. We have developed many techniques for reducing the impact of the maintenance requirements. We also believe that the payoff in deeper understanding of many special concepts is worth the cost. With the dramatically growing interest level in interactive exhibits by both museum professionals and the public, it seems we are not alone in our thoughts.

What do you think makes a good exhibit.
We believe that the best exhibits are the ones which become 'marker events' in the life of the visitor. When the visitor returns to their every day activities they carry with them a new reference point against which to compare their experiences, make new judgments and have new appreciations. We also like to make exhibits that encourage the transfer of information amongst companions -parent to child, friend to friend etc. with the exhibit as catalyst. There is a lot you can put into an exhibit but there's also a lot the visitor knows. With a little prompting, visitors will share their own experience on the subject with others.

Where did Mystus get its name and what does it mean?
The telephone pole represents both the steadfast support that we offer our many clients and the light speed communication technologies that our business was first built on. Our first exhibits were based on microprocessor components (computers on a chip). As with the telephone pole, the apparently static network of wires in those first exhibits were ablaze inside with information passing back and forth in millionths of a second. We have added many other services now to our exhibitmaking toolbox, but lightning speed microprocessor control is still a key component of the uniqueness that is Mystus Exhibits.

British author John Fowles' novel, The Magus, tells the story of a magician who creates a fabricated reality for the narrator. The magician's illusion is yet deeply true and relevant to the narrator's life. This novel articulates Mystus's role as exhibitmakers. Building on this, 'Mystus' is a conjunction of words... To unfold the MYSTeries of the natural world, the exhibitmaker takes on the role of magUS (magician) to create interactive exhibits that educate and inspire us.

While our medium is lightning fast technology, our processes are studied and deliberate. We like to characterize our mode as 'artfully renaissance'.

How long have you been in business?
The business was started loosely in 1991 and crystallized to full time activity in 1994. Mystus has been incorporated since Feb 2000. Matthew Bates, owner and director of Mystus, has worked in the museum business since 1981 when he started working for the then cutting edge computer lab at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Canada.

How many people work at Mystus?
The Mystus family of contributors is about 15 key people some as employees some as regular associate contractors. Every project that we are awarded has unique requirements for talent. We’ve spent a lot of time developing the talents in our group so that we can respond quickly to a new challenge. Project management and a deep talent pool are two important keys to our success.

Where is Toronto?
Toronto is the largest city in Canada and the 5th largest city in North America, situated near the west end of Lake Ontario at the meeting place of three rivers from whence it gets its name ('Meeting Place' in the local Indian dialect). Lake Ontario is one of the 5 Great Lakes representing 1/3 of all the fresh water in the world. Canada lies to the North of the USA, along the longest unprotected border in the world. More trivia: Yonge Street which starts in Toronto is also the longest 'street' in the world. Toronto is a major industrial centre. Toronto is also the home of the Ontario Science Centre, one of the leading museums in the presentation of interactive exhibits for many decades. Our main office and prototyping shop in the heart of downtown Toronto. We love our city and our country but are especially proud of being part of the museum community, which is inherently an international one.