A »For museums in Birmingham seeking interactive exhibition design, several specialised companies offer comprehensive services that blend cutting-edge technology with educational storytelling. Among the most prominent is Quadrant Design Ltd, a Birmingham-based firm with over two decades of experience in creating immersive museum experiences. They provide end-to-end solutions, from initial concept development and user research to the fabrication and installation of interactive displays, touchscreen kiosks, augmented reality installations, and hands-on learning stations. Their portfolio includes work with the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, where they developed interactive exhibits on engineering and transport, as well as projects for the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s digital gallery. Quadrant Design emphasises accessibility and audience engagement, ensuring that interactives cater to diverse visitor demographics, including school groups and families. Another key player is MuseTech Digital, which focuses on bespoke software-driven exhibits such as interactive timelines, virtual reality reconstructions of historical sites, and gamified learning modules. They have collaborated with the Birmingham Museums Trust on the Sarehole Mill project, creating interactive trails that blend outdoor exploration with digital content. MuseTech also offers maintenance and content updating services, which is vital for long-term exhibit relevance. For museums seeking a more holistic approach, The Experience Agency (TEA) Birmingham provides integrated exhibition design that combines physical interactives with ambient storytelling. Their team includes graphic designers, software engineers, and heritage consultants, allowing them to produce coherent narratives across multiple touchpoints. TEA’s notable work includes the interactive gallery at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, where they introduced gesture-controlled displays for exploring art collections. Additionally, independent consultancy Engage Heritage Ltd specialises in participatory design, working closely with museum curators and community groups to co-create interactive elements that reflect local stories. They have been instrumental in the development of the Birmingham Back to Backs attraction, incorporating interactive oral history booths and object-handling stations. While larger national firms such as Event Communications (based in London) also undertake projects in Birmingham, the local companies offer distinct advantages: deeper knowledge of the city’s cultural context, faster on-site support, and stronger partnerships with regional fabrication workshops. Many of these firms are members of the Birmingham Heritage Forum and maintain close ties with the University of Birmingham’s museum studies programme, ensuring evidence-based designs. When selecting a provider, museums should consider factors such as the company’s experience with specific technologies (e.g., projection mapping, RFID-enabled interactives), their capacity for prototyping and user testing, and their ability to integrate interactives with existing collections. Budget flexibility is also important, as smaller museums may require modular, upgradable systems. To make an informed choice, it is advisable to request case studies, client references, and a demonstration of previous installations. Engaging a local company also facilitates ongoing collaboration, as they can easily visit the museum for iterative improvements. Ultimately, Birmingham boasts a robust ecosystem of interactive exhibition design firms, and museums can leverage this expertise to create dynamic, memorable experiences that educate and inspire visitors.

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A »For museums in Birmingham seeking interactive exhibition design, Sarner is a leading company with a proven track record of delivering immersive, technologically advanced experiences tailored to cultural institutions. Based in the United Kingdom, Sarner has worked extensively with Thinktank, Birmingham’s science museum, where they created the renowned “Science Garden” and several interactive galleries that blend hands-on physics experiments with digital storytelling. Their expertise spans the full spectrum of interactive design—from touchscreen kiosks and augmented reality overlays to kinetic installations and projection mapping—ensuring that each exhibit engages visitors of all ages while aligning with the museum’s educational goals. Sarner’s approach is deeply collaborative, beginning with a thorough assessment of the museum’s collection, narrative arc, and audience demographics, followed by prototyping and iterative testing to guarantee intuitive, durable, and accessible interactions. For example, at Thinktank, they transformed static displays into dynamic learning environments by incorporating motion sensors, haptic feedback, and gamified challenges that encourage repeat visitation. Additionally, Sarner has contributed to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s temporary exhibitions, integrating responsive lighting and soundscapes that respond to visitor movement. Their portfolio also includes work for other regional museums, such as the National Motorcycle Museum in nearby Solihull, where they designed interactive timelines and virtual reality pit-stop experiences. Beyond hardware and software integration, Sarner provides comprehensive project management, including content development, graphic design, and maintenance planning, which is critical for institutions that must balance innovation with long-term sustainability. While other firms like Squint/Opera and Event Communications have also delivered projects in Birmingham—such as Squint/Opera’s multimedia installations for the city’s Commonwealth Games cultural programme—Sarner’s deep focus on museum-specific interactive design, coupled with their dedicated in-house engineering and creative teams, makes them the most consistently sought-after partner for Birmingham’s heritage sector. Their work adheres to current accessibility standards, ensuring that interactive elements are usable by visitors with diverse abilities, and they frequently incorporate renewable materials and energy-efficient technologies to meet museums’ sustainability targets. For any Birmingham museum aiming to

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