(Reposted from November 11, 2011)

I ran into a new-to-me phrase for a tried-and-true concept that I thought interesting. The concept is the design technique of visually positioning key elements in an exhibit to tease the visitor along a prescribed and intended path of discovery. The “path” can be literal or figurative. The new-to-me phrase is “finding the weenie”. Maybe it refers to some obscure reference to the hotdog stand at the back of Coney Island or perhaps to the art of hunting for the prized hotdog morsel in a can of beenie weenies. Who knows?

I heard the phrase used by Disney Imagineers in a meeting a couple of weeks ago and I’m told it came from Walt himself. Apparently, “finding the weenie” has become design dogma to Imagineers (who are pros at using 3d space, proportion, sound, light, and motion) to encourage a visitor to be more open to learn. Sometimes that learning comes from methodically suspending disbelief, like in a Space Mountain Epcot ride. But the same techniques also can be used to deliberately lead visitors through a series of experiences in such a way that participants leave with their new knowledge already filed in historical, social, technical or political context. It’s analogue to a speaker stressing one word over other words…and then winking.

Visitors want closure and will make (intended or unintended) connections between unlike content depending on how that content is presented. Layering, ordering and accenting content helps them do that.

According to the Imagineers, a good floor plan, like a good graphic layout, should lead an inquiring mind where it wants to go anyway. Visitors WANT to find the weenie. They are looking for it farther ahead in their exhibit experience than we might think. They want to know what they’re going to see just around the corner and spend mental energy anticipating what is going to surprise or wow them at the end.  Maybe it’s that energy that is the catalyst to learning and retention.