Creating Great Stories

Learn how to create a great storytelling exhibit. Make the most of the features and options to best showcase your cultural content. Let's get started...

By Google Arts & Culture

Scottish dance (2004/2004) by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 1: Panels

Section 2: Layout options

Section 3: Captions

Section 4: Guided zoom

Section 5: Video Panels

Section 6: Preset zoom

Section 7: Google Maps & Street View

Section 8: Sections

Section 9: Completing your exhibit

Section 10: Video tutorials

Au louvre (2009/2009) by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 1: Panels

Arrange items from your collection into panels to curate an exhibit. Let's see what a panel looks like... 

Chaise, Mary Baird-Smith, 2010
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This is an example of a simple panel.

Use panels to present items together with basic details (metadata) such as: title, date & creator, etc. as seen below.

Nature morte aux pots (2009/2009) by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 2: Layout options

Panels can be displayed using one of two layout options: "Simple" or "Immersive". Let's see how they look...

Feu, Mary Baird-Smith, 2012/2012
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This panel is displayed using the "simple" layout option.

It's similar to how artwork is often displayed on a gallery wall.

If several "simple" panels are added in sequence, they will be shown next to one another...

Escalator, Mary Baird-Smith, 2008/2008
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This panel is also displayed using the "simple" layout option.

And so is the next one...

Baye Fall (2006/2006) by Mary Baird-Smith

Although this is the same artwork as in the previous panel, this one uses the immersive layout option.

Notice how it fills the screen.

Escalator (2008/2008) by Mary Baird-Smith

This is another example of an immersive panel.

If the image is not sufficiently large to fill the view, it will be placed on a blurred background as seen here.

La Porte (2012/2012) by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 3: Captions

The panels contained in this section demonstrate different types of caption.

La pause dans le passage, Mary Baird-Smith, 2013
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Captions can include media as well as text.

Why not add a short documentary clip that explains more about the work and its creation?

Le Royal (2005/2005) by Mary Baird-Smith

The Royal ambience
00:00

Use audio captions to provide narration, or even to add ambience and context to an artwork.

Loch (2012/2012) by Mary Baird-Smith

Captions float on top of immersive panels.

Nature morte (2009/2009) by Mary Baird-Smith

Text captions with more than 300 characters expand to fill the right hand side of "immersive" panels, instead of floating on top.

(Now, what would make a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very long caption?!)

La rame by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 4: Guided zoom

The "immersive" layout option allows you to create a sequence of "stops" within the same panel, automatically panning and zooming to highlight areas of interest. Here we go...

Let's begin by displaying the complete artwork.

Now, let's tell a story...

While a girl rushes to school...

...a couple embrace...

...distracting a bystander!

Changement à Chatelet (2013/2013) by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 5: Video panels

Videos are not limited to captions. Further engage your visitors by adding video panels to your exhibit. Let's see what a video panel looks like...

Notice that the video begins playing automatically when the panel is viewed.

Espace Commines (2006/2006) by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 6: Sections

As you've seen, different parts of an exhibit can be introduced with a section separator, just like this one! Use sections to introduce artwork that shares a common theme, artist, medium, time period etc.

Kadia (2012/2012) by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 7: Preset zoom

In both sections and panels, you can set a zoom level to show visitors a portion of the image. Here we've zoomed to show Kadia's face, even though the original image is a full portrait.

Corridor, Mary Baird-Smith, 2012/2012
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This panel uses the simple layout option and we've zoomed on to show a painting within the painting!

Notice that the zoomed region is highlighted in the thumbnail.

Corridor (2012/2012) by Mary Baird-Smith

If a preset zoom is used on an immersive panel, viewers can pan around themselves to explore other areas of the image.

Why don't you give it a try? Just click and drag the image.

Les Petites Dalles (2008/2008) by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 8: Google Maps & Street View

Set a geographic location for a section, and a mini Google Map will appear. Both item panels and sections can also display Google Street View imagery. Let's see some examples...

Tap to explore

Here, you can see the current Google Street View image of Les Petites Dalles (Normandie, France)

This scene was also painted by Mary Baird-Smith, as shown on the next panel...

Les Petites Dalles, Mary Baird-Smith, 2008/2008
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Tap to explore

Google Street View can be used in both simple and immersive layout. Viewers can even take a look around the location.

Go on: click and drag the image to visit the area ;-)

Usine Bene Tally (2008/2008) by Mary Baird-Smith

Section 9: Completing your exhibit

Any changes you make to your exhibit are saved automatically. However, these changes will not be seen publicly until you publish the draft.

La rue du Souk, Mary Baird-Smith, 2000/2000
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Create as many panels and sections as needed to showcase your content.

Reordering can be done easily by drag and drop!

Inside the underground, Mary Baird-Smith, 2009/2009
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Invite others to help you curate exhibits.

Just add additional administrators in the Google Cultural Institute settings.

Inside the underground (1998/1998) by Mary Baird-Smith

Use the publishing options available to share your new exhibit with the world!

Google Arts & Culture - publish one or more exhibits to the Cultural Institute website/app to make your cultural content accessible to all

Embed - add your exhibit directly into your existing website or blog.

See our help center for more information about using these publishing options.

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Section 10: Video tutorials

This section contains video tutorials that demonstrate how to achieve many of the effects you've just seen.

Credits: Story

Exhibit created by the Google Cultural Institute Team.

Feel free to contact us for assistance via our Help Center:
support.google.com/culturalinstitute/partners

Special thanks to Mary-Baird Smith for permission to use her artwork in this tutorial.

See more of her artwork at:
mary-baird-smith.culturalspot.org

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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