Design Interactive Exhibition
Adobe Illustrator, Laser Cutter, Chipboard
May 2024
Dino Diggers.
his project was the result of a collaborative effort between myself and one other classmate, where we combined our skills to design an interactive, hands-on exhibit that would educate viewers in a fun and engaging way. With dinosaurs as our central theme, we targeted children as our primary audience, creating an exhibit that would spark curiosity and provide an educational experience. The concept was centered around a three-step activity—dig, cast, and explore—allowing kids to immerse themselves in the world of dinosaurs while learning about various species and their unique characteristics. The exhibit was designed to be both educational and entertaining, offering children an opportunity to engage with the subject matter through tactile, interactive elements.
In this collaboration, I took on the responsibility of designing all the visual and physical materials, ensuring that every detail aligned with our theme and appealed to our audience. This included everything from creating instructional guides to designing exhibit signage and materials for the interactive activities. Meanwhile, my partner focused on developing the coding and lighting system for our box that brought the exhibit to life, enhancing its overall impact.
We designed a hands-on experience centered around a box that resembled an excavation site, adding an element of adventure and discovery for children. I created laser-cut plywood dinosaur bones, each engraved with intricate details of specific dinosaur skeletons. To make the activity interactive, each bone featured a flap on the back with a clue, encouraging kids to guess which dinosaur it belonged to. Lifting the flap revealed the engraved name of the dinosaur, blending education with fun and curiosity.
The activity continued with kids using the dinosaur bones to create fossil casts, following a guide I designed. Using air-dry clay, they pressed the bones into the clay to form detailed imprints, simulating a paleontologist's work. Once the fossil imprints were completed, the children moved to a poster station where the backs of the plywood bones, fitted with magnets, could be placed on corresponding posters. These posters not only displayed the dinosaurs but also compared their size to that of a human, making the learning process both interactive and visually engaging.
Once all the bones were correctly matched, the kids were rewarded with a "Paleontologist in Training" badge and sticker, both of which I designed to enhance the sense of accomplishment. This thoughtful detail added an extra layer of excitement, allowing the children to feel recognized for their efforts and encouraging further curiosity about paleontology. The badge and sticker served not only as playful rewards but also as a way to solidify the educational value of the activity. By incorporating these elements, the experience became more immersive and memorable for the kids, ensuring that the learning process remained engaging and fun from start to finish.
To bring the entire activity full circle, the kids were given a chance to package the fossil imprints they had created into a custom-designed box I crafted specifically for this purpose. The box, designed with care and attention to detail, became a keepsake that the children could take home as a tangible reminder of their journey as budding paleontologists. It added an interactive element to the conclusion of the activity, allowing kids to reflect on the steps they had completed while enjoying the creative packaging. This final touch tied the experience together in a way that balanced education with play, leaving the participants with a lasting impression of the fun and discovery they had shared.
