Amuseumisa"permanentinstitutionintheserviceofsocietyandofitsdevelopment,opentothepublic,whichacquires,conserves,researches,communicatesandexhibitsthetangibleandintangibleheritageofhumanityanditsenvironment,forthepurposesofeducation,study,andenjoyment",asdefinedbytheInternationalCouncilofMuseums.[1]TheUKMuseumsAssociationdefinition(adopted1998)[2]is:“Museumsenablepeopletoexplorecollectionsforinspiration,learningandenjoyment.Theyareinstitutionsthatcollect,safeguardandmakeaccessibleartifactsandspecimens,whichtheyholdintrustforsociety.”

　　Therearetensofthousandsofmuseumsallovertheworld.Forarelativelyshortlist,seetheListofmuseums.Themuseumsofancienttimes,suchastheMusaeumofAlexandria,wouldbeequivalenttoamoderngraduateinstitute.ThemodernmeaningofthewordcanbetracedtotheMuseumofPergamoninAnatolia,whichdisplayedartwork.

　　hedesignofmuseumshasevolvedthroughouthistory.Interpretivemuseums,asopposedtoartmuseums,havemissionsreflectingcuratorialguidancethroughthesubjectmatterwhichnowincludecontentintheformofimages,audioandvisualeffects,andinteractiveexhibits.

　　Someoftheseexperienceshaveveryfewornoartifactsanddonotnecessarilycallthemselvesmuseums;theGriffithObservatoryinLosAngelesandtheNationalConstitutionCenterinPhiladelphia,beingnotableexampleswheretherearefewartifacts,butstrong,memorablestoriesaretoldorinformationisinterpreted.Incontrast,theUnitedStatesHolocaustMemorialMuseuminWashingtonDCusesmanyartifactsintheirmemorableexhibitions.Notably,despitetheirvaryingstyles,thelattertwoweredesignedbyRalphAppelbaumAssociates.

　　Mostmid-sizeandlargemuseumsemploydesignstaffforgraphicandenvironmentaldesignprojects,includingexhibitions.Inadditiontotraditional2-Dand3-Ddesignersandarchitects,thesestaffdepartmentsmayincludeaudio-visualspecialists,softwaredesigners,audienceresearchandevaluationspecialists,writers,editors,andpreparatorsorarthandlers.Thesestaffspecialistsmayalsobechargedwithsupervisingcontractdesignorproductionservices.

　　NotablecommercialexhibitiondesignfirmsincludeRalphAppelbaumAssociates,C&GPartners,ESIDesign,BurdickGroup,André&AssociatesInterpretation&DesignLtd,MetaphorLimited,andAtLargeMuseumandExhibitionDesigners.