TEHIC-Handbook_of_best_practices

2. An overview of the concept of heritage interpretation and its evolution. 13 Heritage interpretation as a communication tool O ne of the best-known aspects of heritage interpretation is that it is a valua- ble communication tool. It is important to understand that, in order to have an impact on our target audience, one of the keys lies in the knowledge of such au - dience. Sometimes we start from visitor profiles that have been developed by the organisation by collecting direct information or we have been able to talk to the person in charge of the group to give us more information about their needs and interests. Of course, we have to know much about what we are going to work on, the legacy we are going to show, always trying to be up to date, incorporating new research and new findings. Once we have these two "legs", we must select those techniques that are most appropriate to achieve both a conceptual and affective connection with visitors, and to create the right atmosphere for an interpretative opportunity. Some of these techniques include comparisons, metaphors, similes, personalisation, enlarging the scale of time or space, among others. Sometimes this scheme is represented graphically by a triangle in which the three sides are balanced: an equilateral triangle. Another way of reflecting the same idea is with a three-legged stool. Each of the legs must have been carefully designed, cut, and as - sembled so that the stool will stand up without wobbling and can serve the purpose for which it was built. Image representing the three “legs” of heritage interpretation. Source: Isabel Fernández.