We decided to approach the label-writing for these boards in a participatory way. We blatantly borrowed the brilliant technique the San Diego Museum of Natural History used to write labels based on visitors’ questions. We put up the following label along with a pedestal with post-its and pencils:
We’re writing a description* for these surfboards and we need your help.
What do the surfboards make you think about?
What do you want to know?
Understanding what you think helps us think about how we display our collections.

Museum 2.0: Balancing Engagement: Adventures in Participatory Exhibit Labels

This is a really interesting method for developing label content!