Meet Toni Roberts: interpretation design expert

Interpretation design is about transforming complex topics into engaging, communicative experiences for particular audiences.

This can be done in traditional environments such as museums and zoos, as well as national parks, local streets and other public environments.

In 2015 Roberts worked on the redevelopment of the Royal Mint’s Factory Viewing Gallery which involved interpretation planning and research; process diagram design; text for graphics and touch screens; and touch screen storyboarding and project management for the space, which communicates complex coin-making processes while maximising views of the factory floor.

What’s your goal – what do you seek to learn?

I’m exploring the ways in which we can shape people’s experiences of an environment, and how much audiences direct their own experiences.

I’m experimenting with how theory and practice can be better integrated – using theory to make practice more rigorous, and building theoretical understandings from collaborative projects.

What has been the most significant moment in your career so far?

I was very proud to lead the team to design the Whittlesea Bushfire Memorial at Toorourrong Reservoir Park.

Being trusted to work with the local community who had been so terribly affected by the Black Saturday bushfires was a real privilege.

What excites you most about your work?

I love researching specific topics for each project so that I can get a big-picture view and create a logical schema for the audience.

Then we can get playful and explore surprising, varied ways of communicating ideas and information, whether through physical play, digital interactivity, video, graphics or sculptural elements.

How have you collaborated with other academics or industry in your research?

This is a highly collaborative field of practice and there are many practitioners with deep knowledge that has not been documented.

There is little formal research to draw on in comparison with the depth and breadth of knowledge in the industry, so this is a challenge for research.

I’m still seeking out suitable partners to collaborate with in my academic research.

What is the impact of your research – who will it affect and how?

My practice-based research has multiple audiences and impacts. My projects – such as the Auckland Zoo Te Wao Nui precinct, the Royal Australian MintF Viewing Gallery, and currently the National Capital Exhibition in Canberra – all impact on visitors’ understanding of our natural and cultural heritage.

My research community includes designers, writers, artists and tour guides who aim to use this impact to improve our environmental and social futures.

And of course there are my students, who gain insights into interpretation design, a field that is not widely taught in Australia.

Dr Roberts lectures in the Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) and curates the suite of studio options offered in this program at RMIT.

Story: Wendy Little