Exhibition Design
Discover the Seabed
If you didn’t know, volcanoes gradually sink over millions of years, forming atolls and, eventually, Caribbean-like islands, until they are fully submerged underwater. This process, along with its profound impacts on surrounding marine life, is explored in this exhibition. By simply pulling a cord, you can reveal the different stages of a volcano’s sinking and witness each step of this fascinating journey.
STEEP Analysis
Futures cone
Futures wheels
Since our topic was pre-selected, we bypassed the typical research phase and went straight into an in-depth exploration of volcanoes. Along the way we uncovered a treasure chest of fascinating information. To fit all this into a simple interactive exhibit, we selected a core focus and broke it down into bite-sized, engaging insights for visitors. This approach helped us capture the essence of the topic, offering visitors a fun learning experience.
Screenflow
Competition analysis
Classification of characteristics
Kano Analysis
With all the relevant information gathered, we explored various interaction types and exhibit formats, trying to create something uniquely engaging. After careful thought, we developed a matryoshka-style model that stacks inside of each other. By lifting each layer, visitors reveal the next evolutionary stage below, guiding them through millions of years of volcanic sinking.
This approach offers an interactive journey through time, allowing visitors to experience and compare each stage step by step.
Information Architecture
Low-Fidality-Wireframes
Design Brand Filters
Storyboards
Each layer was drawn in Illustrator, then precision-cut to achieve smooth, even edges, ensuring each stage nested perfectly within the others. Once assembled and glued together, we suspended the model on a fishing line, giving it a captivating floating effect. To achieve a clean, modern look, we chose white cardboard—not only light enough to hang effortlessly but also stable enough to keep the pull mechanism smooth and seamless. The result is a minimal, abstract sculpture that draws attention with its elegance and intriguing movement.
Adruino
3D printing
Coding
The entire mechanism was inspired by the familiar design of a roller blind, creating an intuitive interaction for the user. The model was mounted onto a curtain rod equipped with a potentiometer to measure the rod's rotation. To account for the varying circumferences between the rod and the potentiometer, we 3D-printed a custom attachment featuring a dual-sized gear wheel. An Arduino board collected the rotational data, seamlessly controlling video playback to correspond with each stage of the model's movement.
Information Architecture
Low-Fidality-Wireframes
Design Brand Filters
Storyboards
The information design and animations were inspired by nautical charts to represent the ocean's depth around the volcanic island. By adjusting color shades, we aimed to make it easier for viewers to understand the changes in depth over time.
This subtle approach provided a clear and simple way to visualize the island’s surroundings matching the modle perfectly.
Building and Innovating with Precision
I was primarily responsible for the mechanism and it was both challenging and rewarding. Developing the gear translation took a lot of trial and error, from fine-tuning the Arduino code to 3D-printing custom parts to make the vision a reality. The roller blind concept was a wild idea, and seeing it come to life as planned was incredibly satisfying—even if there’s always room for improvement. This experience gave me hands-on insight into engineering and creative problem-solving, skills I’m proud to have developed through this project.
Stronger Together
Our team dynamic was key to making this project a success. By splitting tasks, we worked more efficiently and quickly, yet we were always there to help each other when needed. It was both fun and inspiring to collaborate with such brilliant teammates—I learned so much from their skills and approaches. We came together on essential elements like the design guide and final decisions, but I had full trust in them to execute their parts of the exhibit independently. This experience underscored the importance of trust and collaboration in achieving a shared vision.
