Narrative Environments

I have been researching graduate programs in Design lately and have come to understand some distinctions between programs. There are those programs which are geared towards applied practice & taught design skills and there are those which implore participants to explore, research and test skills on their own.
I am particularly interested in the Design Master of Arts program at the University of California, Berkeley. This program asks applicants to write a proposal about a project that will conclude in both an exhibition of work and a written thesis.
Having some experience in both environmental design and graphic design, I am currently in the process of exploring some ideas for a proposal.
As a part of Design 185, Exhibition Design, I am learning about the impact that the narrative of an environment can have on patrons to that environment. Where people look, what people touch, hierarchy of text, image, decoration and information. All of these things must be accounted for and carefully planned.
A narrative environment tells a story, it is the 3-dimensionalization of the narrative of a book or idea in an interior space. This particular kind of design interests me because it is so versatile. Museums, Galleries, stores, display cases, trade-show booths, public information exhibits, graphic design, marketing, interior architecture, interior design, all of these use the resources that an exhibition designer, or more specifically, someone who is interested in narrating an environment, have.