Project Soundpath
Digital exhibits in the Nature History Museum
The course deals with spatial, vivid, tangible and social communication formats in natural history museums using digital media. The design task is the communication of a scientific fact using authentic objects
Client /
Meso
Senckenberg
Museum
Role /
Interaction designer
Agency /
Hfg-Offenbach
Year /
2019
User Behavior & Measure
User research is always the most beginning part of an interaction design project. As the graphic below, the space limitation leads the visitors to the existing path, and to the popular show points.
The information consists of three parts, text sounds and pictures.
Compared to the other method, texts are ideal for visitors to have deeper information. With sounds and speech, visitors can more easily immerse themselves in the atmosphere. Visitors can get more visual information during the enjoyment of real exhibits. Visual information is definitely important too. With images and videos the environment is built up for imagination
Idea & User Scenario
In oder to enhance the vistit experience, the idea of sound interaction was generated.
We have defined 3 zones for the sound. In the center is the exhibit, then zone one is with detailed information. Next there is zone two with the special points of the exhibit (barking of the dog). The third zone is after that with the sound of the living environment (the sea or the forest)
Development & Details
In order to offer the barrier-free interaction, the device is defined that it can change the information mode by turning around. If blue side up, the device is changed into children‘s mode, on the other hand, red side informations for adults
Take the headphone
The user can get the equipment from the Reception in the museum and have the basic setting with guides from the workers.
Technical details
The key point of technical support of the project is the high definition in-door-locate-system. The program was developed with python.
The definition of the sound area was based on the formular below, which shows the way to define the distance between two objects. And in the 2 dementional coodinate system, we can define a circle with one point and one distance.
3D printing is another support for model test. The final design was based on different versions of the premodels. With the real models, we have the possibility to test the ergonomical functions.
