No stranger to sustainable practices, Crisp took on the challenge to reinvent the existing exhibitory components. Many items, while built in the earlier 90s had solid structural build that could be repurposed for new ideas and interactivity opportunities.
What we encountered as an entry area that contained disparate experiences, including a wind tunnel, slot car racetracks, a fueling station, and a model of a space shuttle fuselage. Working with the larger team at TCMU, we were able to develop plans that tied these items together through interpretation and reinvention, as well as add additional elements to highlight the themes of achieving high speeds.
FEEL THE NEED FOR SPEED: Located in South Carolina, we played up the visualization of local aerospace and auto industry giants.
Draw them in. In order to create a visual, but open-ended, hierarchy; we drafted entrance graphics for visitors to walk, skip, and run through. A Giant tire signified our entrance point to the gallery long central trackway. As walls and other structures allowed, the trackway can be banked so visitors can experience thrust, friction, and centripetal forces as they walk and run along their adventure path.
Layered content draws small children and family groups through the experience, exploring the physics of inertial, lift, downforce, friction, centripetal force, and thrust. We planned for the concepts to be clearly and playfully delivered. Zoom away, Friends!
Lively graphics and a bold palette evoke two of the Greenville region’s most influential industries: automotive and aerospace manufacturing. Tactile elements engage all the senses, while displays work to be interactive and inclusive of race, gender, and ability.
Fresh graphic systems are layered, to assist those with limited reading and comprehension skills (or parents chasing after small children); deeper dives are available for those who revel in all the nerdy details!
Our planning included experiences for very young children and for those with cognitive and physical differences. Where full-body experiences exist, we incorporated adaptive technologies. Learning is multi-modal—it’s kinesthetic and immersive and includes unexpected sensory elements.
Icons identify each of the physical forces at work and provide an element for visitors to track and take note of–even for our non-reader audience. These custom illustrations outlined how to engage with a kit of parts for creating "you build" slot cars that run a number of different surface offerings to experience and highlight the properties of friction and drag in action.
We also included interpretive questions for parents and educators and sidebars that show real people in the community who work as designers, racers, and scientists.
Real people, doing real things!
"I have had the pleasure of working with Davina for over 15 years. She has always pushed me and the project to be bigger and better. Her creative vision is refreshing, which is why we keep working together. It melds together both the highest standards of museum practices with her own personal joie de vivre."
– Hillary Spencer, Children's Museum of the Upstate CEO and President
A multifunctional space designed to highlight the esteemed faculty of USC. Now open at USC's Doheny Memorial Library.