Physical Space Prototype
Learn about physical and technical implications of designing in 3D space
Summary
During the Fall semester of 2017, we as Purdue UX students were tasked with designing a museum exhibit of our choice, incorporating technology touchpoints throughout. I worked with three others, working out our exhibit from the ground up, from the focus and learning outcomes to the foot traffic. Our chosen theme was Prohibition-Era organized crime.
Goal
Learn about physical and technical implications of designing an experience in a 3D space.
Process
We started by educating ourselves on the event itself, so as to know what specific points of focus it offered to an educational context. We perused Wikipedia to start, but soon found a few specialized sites that told more detailed versions of the same story. We also researched different but similar events and especially similar experiences to that which we would be designing: other exhibits, escape rooms, and themed "murder mystery" dinners. We then looked up various innovative and new museums and exhibits, to see what kind of new technology is being used to convey information and wow guests.
We decided on an audio-guided exhibit wherein guests could decide between four key players in a real mobster murder (The death of "Big Jim" Colosimo). Guests would hear their chosen character's perspective on various events up to and including his death. The goal was to teach the guests about not just the murder itself but also the era in which it took place.
Contribution
I specifically conducted much of the research on the actual murder in question and devised the implementations of many of the technology touchpoints we considered and implemented. I also worked on the design of the physical space in which this exhibit resides. When it came time to make voiceovers for a prototype, I voiced "Big Jim" Colossimo.
