TEAM WALKABOUT
Victoria Adams
Lauren Beckwith
Joanne Ong
Spring 2012
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Over the course of the Spring 2012 semester,
the Carnegie Mellon School of Design Interactive
Information Spaces Senior Project worked with the
Carnegie Museum of Natural History curators and
staff to improve the public’s relationship with the
museum’s invertebrate zoology department, home
to the museum’s renowned collection of specimens.
This book outlines the process and development of
this semester long project, in which we examined
problems that currently exist within the Section of
Invertebrate Zoology, and formed proposals for ways
to enhance the visitor experience.
This project was completed under the guidance of
instructors Mark Baskinger and Stacie Rohrbach.
System Concept
The Experience
Overarching System
Design Criteria
Scenarios
Additional interactions
Extension
Production
Visual Language
Card System
Wayfinding
Card Dispenser
Business Plan
Closing Thoughts
Overview
Project brief
Strategy
Scheduling
Objectives
Research
Approach
Audience
Current Behavior
Interviews
Problem Indicators
Considerations
Re-defining the Problem
Development
Design Projections
Considerations
Framing Opportunities
Organizing Ideas
Preliminary Ideation
Mock-ups & Testing
Discoveries & Feedback
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
9
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH)
has been a hub for some of the best and brightest
scientists in the world for more than 114 years. Today,
CMNH scientists are working to increase knowledge
of life on Earth through the study and collection of
specimen reflecting our planet’s biological, cultural,
and geological diversity. While CMNH scientists are
highly regarded and renowned in their own fields, the
Pittsburgh public is not aware of the cutting edge
research that is happening in their local community.
CMNH recognizes that they need to better
communicate their current scientific activities to
the public in order to bridge the gap between what
is happening behind the scenes at the Museum
and what the public sees and experiences when they
visit, attend a program, or go to the CMNH website.
CMNH is particularly interested in targeting college-
aged visitors, helping them understand the richness
of the Museum research programs and their
connection to our planet’s biological, cultural, and
geological diversity.
THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
10
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s
invertebrate holdings are worldwide in coverage,
especially in the Afrotropical and Neotropical regions.
The insect collection contains approximately
13 million specimens, of which over 7 million are
prepared, labelled and ready for study. These collections
augment studies by staff, but their greatest use is
for research by hundreds of specialists worldwide
where they constitute the basis for numerous scientific
publications. These collections benefit present and
future generations, and in their immensity comprise a
public trust as a unique record of the natural world.
Our group is focusing on the tours portion —
essentially establishing a schema for learning in
the museum. We are exploring how people move
through physical and informational spaces, as
well as designing a holistic interpretive system for
information, messaging and pathways.
SECTION OF INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY CLIENT BRIEF
14
January 18: Course overview, project explanation
February 1: Initial client meeting with CMNH
February 20: Presentation of initial concepts to CMNH
March 21: Second presentation of design concepts to CMNH
May 10: Final presentation of system and prototypes to CMNH
SCHEDULING
15
We intend to use layered learning in order to
engage our audience’s unique preferences and
learning styles, while progressively building an
overall deeper understanding of bugs and their
significance to humans.
OBJECTIVES
18
In order to determine what a system of tours could
offer CMNH, we surveyed what currently existed
at the museum. This includes how these tours are
being conducted as well as opportunities where the
implementation of tours could benefit pre-existing
material. This information was collected by observing
and interviewing the docents and scientists at the
museum on the nature and perceived effectiveness
of the tours they deliver.
To supplement these findings, we also studied our
target audience’s knowledge and interest in the
museum and its tours. In addition, we interviewed
these individuals on their preferences and how
they learn to determine how to best implement our
findings.
APPROACH
19
We focused our project scope on college-aged
students in the Pittsburgh area because CMNH
specified this group as the museum’s most highly
underrepresented demographic. This group stands
to benefit a great deal from what the museum has
to offer in academic pursuits, and already has a
highly concentrated population surrounding CMNH’s
location.
AUDIENCE
20
In our interviews with the museum workers,
docents and scientists, we discovered that free
docent led tours are already offered on weekends,
but are relatively unadvertised to the public.
Similarly, behind the scenes tours of the entomology
department are available for individual groups (such as
schools and boy/ girl scouts) but are also not
advertised or available to the general public. When
behind the scenes tours are given, they are delivered
by one of the scientists and have no consistent
script or outline.
Conversely, docent lead tours throughout the
museum are given a general outline that connects
all the elements of the tour and keeps the leader
on topic, although this never carries over into behind
the scenes. There is a disconnect throughout the
museum both conceptually through the delivery
of guided tours and visually through each exhibit’s
differing displays of information.
CURRENT BEHAVIOR
22
To find out why college students weren’t utilizing
the museum, we conducted a series of interviews on
our peers about their current opinions on museums
as well as what they knew specifically about CMNH.
We asked them about what they wanted to learn,
how they prefer to move through a museum, their
opinions on guided tours and their interest in a
behind the scenes tour.
“No. I’d rather experience something on my own
because I feel like it’s a little more meaningful
when you’re doing it by yourself then having stuff
thrusted at you. I feel like generally they’re too fast
or too slow and you just can’t find your own pace.”
INTERVIEWS
Do you go on museum tours?
23
"Dioramas of fake people..."
"Clean. Generally boring if it's historical."
"Stuff doesn't change that often."
"I like things that are more interactive."
“I am not.”
“I think I’ve been told that before but I don’t
really know any of the research that they do.”
“Yeah, that would be cool to see because you
always know that museums have more than
they’re showing you, so I would definitely be
interested in doing that.”
What do you think of museums?
If you don't go to museums, why?
Are you aware of research @CMNH? Would you be interested in going behind-the-scenes @CMNH?
24
Perception
College students are either unaware of what CMNH
does and what it has to offer, or have an antiquated
and mundane perception of all museums.
Wayfinding
There is little direction of tours, either for behind the
scenes or in the museum’s forefront. In a self guided
movement throughout the museum, there is little
consistency in the signage of the exhibits.
Accessibility
The constraints of the behind the scenes space
require tour groups to remain small. The schedule
of the scientists and docents entails that they would
only be able to give tours for a few hours a week.
Social
There is no promotion of either type of tours outside
of the museum and little knowledge of what exists
to entice visitors to seek it out.
PROBLEM INDICATORS
26
Layout of Exhibits
Relevant exhibits are spread out throughout the
museum and will need an effective wayfinding
system to direct visitors to them.
Preservation
Any insects that need to be added to exhibits
for the tour need to be handled in accordance with
the preservation guidelines of the museum.
Point of Entry
The tour needs to be initiated at a prominent
point in the museum, so that it is not overlooked.
The system of tours also needs to be flexible
enough to accommodate the variations in timing
and movement through a space that the various
exhibits afford.
Content
The touchpoints of the tour need to be relatively
discreet so that they do not distract from the
exhibits they are placed in, but rather highlight the
information they contain.
Technology
The affordances of technology need to be considered
with respect to how much they may contribute or
distract from the current exhibits as opposed to more
low-tech options.
CONSIDERATIONS
29
As a result of our findings, the scope of the
project shifted to design a new conception of a
tour that would suit the interests and learning
styles of this generation of college aged individuals.
In order to cater to this demographic’s sense of
individuality, personal discovery and connection
oriented sensibility, we set out to create a series
of self-guided tours that could be tailored to
each individual’s interests.
We wanted to create an explorative experience,
where visitors could engage in hands-on learning,
making a more resonant and personal tour. In
order to do this, we would utilize the pre-existing
exhibits to draw connections and move bugs from
just behind the scenes to all corners of the museum.
REDEFINING THE PROBLEM
Guided tours behind-
the-scenes
Self-guided discovery
throughout the museum
33
In order to bridge the gap between the visitor and
bugs, we decided to focus on the varying ways
that insects affect humans and the environment.
We broke up these points into topics of culture,
biodiversity and evolution, and researched how
different types of bugs played a role in each.
These groupings started to form a set of narratives
that could guide the physical and intellectual
movement through the museum. These concepts
would also provide a secondary significance to the
research being done on these bugs by scientists
behind the scenes.
DESIGN PROJECTIONS
Biodiversity
The push and pull
between insects and the
ecosystem today.
Culture
Translation of insect’s
significance into folklore
or story.
Evolution
How insects and ecosystem
affect each other over time.
34
Insects already exist in exhibits throughout the
museum, but are often overlooked. The presence
of these hidden touchpoints affords a unique
opportunity in providing the visitor with an element
of challenge while searching for relevant information.
The proliferation of insects throughout the museum’s
exhibits also draws a parallel to the ubiquitousness
of insects in human life and their relation to a number
of different areas.
Despite their differences in location and form, the
self-guided tours in the museum’s exterior must
be able to relate to the docent led tours behind the
scenes, both stylistically and conceptually. These
systems should inform each other and create a more
enriching overall experience.
CONSIDERATIONS FRAMING OPPORTUNITIES
36
In order to institute our system, we created a
method of layered learning to guide the tour process.
The visitor will first be drawn in by a visual hook
which garners initial interest while also graphically
introducing the content. Next they will be lead
through the content through a logical narrative which
helps them create connections and empathy with
insects. Finally, they will be given a takeaway that
facilitates reflective learning and the retention
of their experience.
In our organization of the themes of culture,
biodiversity and evolution, along with the role of
bugs in each, we created a matrix that demonstrates
how our content flows across these themes and
how connections could be formed. This range of
topics not only allows for enough diversity to fit
the interests of a wide array of visitors, but it also
enables the discussion of bugs to expand into
every corner of the museum.
ORGANIZING IDEAS
Visual Hook
Relevant Narrative
Takeaway
37
creation and rebirth
decomposers demonstrate bringing life from
death bringing the life cycle full circle
butterflies represent migration
and transportation
moths represent insanity,
darkness and the afterlife
reflection of ideal hierarchical human society
symbol of knowledge, wisdom and deity
decomposition and fertilization
pest control - eating the bugs that
destroy crops and harm humans
pollination
decomposition
sybiosis with plant population
decomposition and fertilization
carriers of disease
symbol of youth
demonstrate endurance and vitality
pollination
need plant diversity to maintain health
nests reflective of constraints of environment
diversity in beetles across different
biomes reflects their adaptation to needs
in specific areas
metamorphosis as a division of
ecological niches
simultaneous development with
flowering plants
camouflage and hearing as survival techniques
able to withstand extreme conditions
adapt to many different ecosystems
evolved as specific pollinating agents,
drove the rapid evolution of flowering plants
bees evolved from carniverous wasps
CULTURE BIODIVERSITY EVOLUTION
Bee
tles
Bu
tter
flie
s &
mot
hs
Bee
s, w
asps
& a
nts
Flie
s
38
We initially brainstormed a number of means
through which these tours could be conducted,
ranging from 2D, to digital to spatial. These all
focused on an element of discovery and withheld
information, whether it be in unlocking new facts
about the museum through an ipad app, moving
through a large scale gigapan image, uncovering
hidden information on a flashlight tour, or decoding
a dynamic map.
PRELIMINARY IDEATION
40
We developed two options of media that the
information could be conveyed through, one
high tech and one low tech.
The high-tech option relied on the use of ipads
to detect RFID tags located in exhibits that contain
insects to unlock relevant information. The low-tech
mode employed a series of wall decals hidden in the
exhibits that would provide information about the
insects once it was uncovered through the use of a
special set of decoder glasses.
MOCK-UPS & TESTING
42
Through our observations and discussions with
visitors at the mid-project science fair, a number of
points were brought to our attention:
Protection of iPads
The number of discovery points
to keep visitors engaged
The challenge in finding these
points while still keeping the idea
of playful discovery
Image based identification
(making everything more visual)
Making scientific terms more
accessible to visitors
How information is conveyed
over time
Through our observations and discussions with
visitors at the mid-project science fair, a number
of points were brought to our attention:
Through feedback from the museum staff
and visitors, we decided upon a low tech
system, due to the affordances and potential
distractions of the digital medium that we
witnessed through our presentation.
DISCOVERIES / FEEDBACK
46
The system of self guided tours eventually
manifested itself in a low-tech form as a series of
cards, located at various exhibits throughout the
museum, that would allow the visitor to direct
themselves through the tour in a way that forms
connections from one point to the next while
catering to their interests and allowing them to
create their own individually resonant tour.
Each card contains a point about one insect’s role
in either culture, biodiversity or evolution, and then
provides options for next destinations on the tour,
within those three themes. In this way, the visitor
can move fluidly between the different major themes
and insect types in a completely adaptable yet
logical progression.
THE EXPERIENCE
48
This system of tours creates a holistic experience
that moves the visitor independently through
CMNH’s exhibits along a narrative path they create
themselves. The information they encounter relates
bugs to their own world and interests through the
themes of culture, biodiversity and evolution, and
allows the visitor to make connections between
them. This tour eventually leads the visitor to a
guided tour behind the scenes of the entomology
department, where they are able to make
connections between the historical information they
just learned and the research being done in
the present. In this way, the museum’s many facets
of learning are both united and informed by
each other.
OVERARCHING SYSTEM
49
africa
polar world
na
tive am
erica
egypt
experimental gallery
dinosaur hall
bota
ny
hall
north a
mer
ica
scarabsculture
fliesculture
butterfliesculture
mothsculture
waspsculture
beetlesbiodiversity
beetlesevolution
beesculture
ladybugsculture
mothsbiodiversity
beesbiodiversity
waspsevolution
fliesevolution
waspsbiodiversity
butterfliesevolution
mothsevolution
beesevolution
fliesbiodiversity
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Acquisition
The key and introductory card must be mentioned
and available when the visitor buys their ticket to
enter the museum.
The visitor must receive a ‘bug key’ which uses
an RFID tag to unlock the cards and track the
visitor’s journey.
The introductory card must explain how the
system of acquisition works and give options
of starting points.
The introductory card must introduce the concept of
the behind the scenes tour and provide times when
it is available.
System Connections
Each card must provide at least one but up to
three possible directions for the acquisition of the
next card, that represent the topics of culture,
biodiversity and evolution.
The options for next steps must be logically
connected to the content of the current card.
The connections must provide spatial direction
of where in the museum the next card is located.
Space
The cards must be located in a relevant exhibit
of the museum, either relating to the insect being
discussed or the culture it relates to.
Each card is housed in its own box, which has an
adjacent placard providing a brief introduction to
the topic of the card.
If a relevant exhibit space does not exist, a
temporary landing point may be created (such as
the butterfly wall).
Cards
Each card must be of the same size.
Most cards should be printed on paper, but
some cards may utilize other media for relevant
interactions.
The graphics used on the cards must inform the
textual information presented on the opposing side.
Each card must convey information relating a given
insect to the topic of either culture, biodiversity or
evolution.
DESIGN CRITERIA
51
Takeaway
The ‘bug key’ must enable the visitor to access their
card collection online once they leave the museum.
When viewing the collection, the visitor should
be able to track the order in which they acquired
their cards.
The online collection must allow the viewer to see all
the other cards available at the museum that they
have not yet gotten.
The visitor should have the option of purchasing
a case to hold all the physical cards they have
collected at the museum.
Behind the Scenes
The behind the scenes tour must be led by a docent.
The tours must only be available for a limited
timeframe each week, in accord with the scientist’s
availability.
The tour groups should be small (5-8 people at
a time).
The tour must identify the major steps in the work
scientists do behind the scenes (acquisition and
surveys, identification, research, publication and the
loan program)
At least one scientist should address the tour
group and either explain the scope of his work or
specifically what he/she is working on at that time.
Visitors should be given access to view collections
of insects that are otherwise not available to the
public.
52
IN MUSEUM SCENARIO
Visitor enters the museum and heads for the ticket counter
Visitor uses the map and intro card to discover the first stop on the tour
Buys admission and is given information about the new set of tours
Receives packet containing instructions, map and key
Is introduced to the option of a behind-the-scenes tour. Ticket attendant will assist in picking a time slot if visitor is interested
53
Box reveals first set of cards and visitor takes one
Using colored keywords, the visitor can choose which card they want to find next
With use of key, card box unlocks via RFID sensors
Visitor continues discovering cards which leads them around the museum
54
BEHIND THE SCENES SCENARIO
Visitor heads to the behind-the-scenes area when it's time for their tour, with mobile notification also as an option
Takes a docent led tour through the back areas
Meets one of the scientists that does research for the museum and collects his/her "trading card"
55
Experiences insects up close and personal with Gigapan zooming
Takes a look at the insect identification process
Gets to try and and identify insects based on what they have learned
56
ADDITIONAL INTERACTIONS
We went through the museum and identified a
number of available spaces in relevant exhibits
where we could employ visuals to help navigate and
illustrate the narrative of the tours.
Many of these spaces utilized blank walls in the
cultural exhibits where we wanted to discuss the
relevance of an insect to that culture, but the exhibit
had no preexisting mention of the insect.
AMERICAN INDIANS
58
ADDITIONAL INTERACTIONS
An example utilization of one of these opportunity
spaces is the creation of a butterfly “dream wall”
in the Native American exhibit. We wanted to be
able to tell the story of how certain tribes believed
that butterflies brought dreams to us in our sleep.
However, we had no relevant landing spot in the
Native American exhibit to place this information.
To do this, we developed the concept of a “dream
wall”, where visitors write down their dreams on a
paper butterfly and attach it to one of the free walls
in the exhibit, creating a space for this story to live
in. Visitors receive the paper butterflies when they
unlock the corresponding card, thus instilling
multiple levels of interaction.
60
EXTENSION
In collaboration with the digital group, we will be
utilizing their system of ‘keys’ to unlock each card
from its designated box at each exhibit in order to
form a sense of exclusivity and additional effort in
uncovering information.
The use of this key, powered by RFID tags, will also
enable the tracking of a visitor’s journey through the
tour. Once they have left the museum, they can look
up their collection online, as well as the rest of the
museum’s collection that they have not yet attained.
This not only enables the visitor to recall their
experience later, but also entices them to return to
the the museum when they see all the cards left
to collect.
64
VISUAL LANGUAGE
In order to develop a continuous visual system,
we sought to select colors that stand on their own
as decals but could also work together on the cards.
The off-white serves as the base of the cards, while
the yellow, turquoise and red function as spot
colors that identify the themes (culture: yellow,
biodiversity: turquoise and evolution: red).
For the typopgraphic system, we wanted a
friendly sans serif that is fairly easy to read by
all ages. We settled on Klavika, a typeface familiar
to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History,
and kept the type hiearchy within the same font
family using the bold weight as headers and
the italic for captions and emphasis.
C: 11
M: 20
Y: 67
K: 0
C: 3
M: 3
Y: 7
K: 0
C: 54
M: 12
Y: 30
K: 0
C: 2
M: 58
Y: 52
K: 0
HEX: E3CC54
HEX: F7F7ED
HEX: 75E0B2HEX: FA6B7A
65
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV WX YZ
0123456789
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV WX YZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
0123456789
Klavika Bold
Klavika Regular
Klavika Italic
66
CARD SYSTEM
Depending on the amount of information
allocated to each card, we developed a flexible grid
system that varies in composition to afford for the
information length. We also took the amount of
supplemental text (directions to the next card based
on the themes) into consideration by leaving wide
margins that surround the main text.
1”
4 1/4”
6"
68
CARD SYSTEM: BREAKDOWN OF CARD
In order to prototype our system of cards, we built
out the culture collection and some of the behind the
scenes cards. Each culture card employs a visual hook
by graphically illustrating the legend or story being
told on the other side. This story evokes a relevant
narrative when it is placed in succession with other
cards that connect it across the three themes.
The behind the scenes cards follow the same format,
without providing the connections to next cards
since they are supplied on a docent led tour. They do,
however, provide QR codes that allow the visitor to
access more detailed information on the scientist the
card highlights.
70
CARD SYSTEM: BUTTEFLY DREAM WALL CARD
The butterfly dream wall card, found in the Native
Americans exhibit, will function as a sort of greeting
card, with a consistent front image and a varying
back image that comes from a set of cropped
patterns featured on the right. All of the card
interiors will display the same information — the
supplementary text on the left and the interactible
butterfly on the right. When visitors add their dream
to the butterfly and tear it out of the card, the
resulting imagery on the butterfly's wings will be part
of the cropped pattern featured on the back.
This card, along with other interactible cards, are
meant to encourage visitor contribution as well as
secondary learning throughout the exhibits.
FrontBack
72
CARD SYSTEM: BUILD A BEETLE CARD
Visitors may recieve this takeaway when they take
the behind-the-scenes tour, depending if they run
into "Beetle" Bob Davidson. This card is made of 1/8"
plywood, and visitors can build their own beetle by
putting together the pieces. Each scientist will have
their own "trading card", pictured below, as well as a
special takeaway.
73
Visitors may recieve this takeaway if they meet
Bob Androw, one of the museum's scientists who
studies invasive species. One of these species is the
bark beetle, who leaves interesting tracks as they
burrow through the wood. This card would function
similarly to the the butterfly dream wall card but will
instead have bark beetle tracks laser-etched into
the card.
CARD SYSTEM: BARK BEETLE CARD
74
We developed a logo system to help visitors identify
with the themes (culture, biodiversity and evolution)
as well as the location of the card dispenser within
the exhibit.
In accompaniment to the theme graphic, there will
be a label containing supplementary information
that is relevant to the card content and exhibit.
WAYFINDING
5”
3”
4”
4”
76
CARD DISPENSER
Boxes containing the cards will be located
throughout the museum in related exhibits.
Each box is placed with a symbol designating
if it is a culture, biodiversity or evolution
card, along with a placard that gives a brief
introduction to the topic discussed on the card.
3/4”
7”3/4”
embedded RFID
FRONT 1/2 SCALE MODELSIDE BACK
TOP
1 3/8”
1/4”
2/5”
1/8”1 3/8”4 3/4” 4 3/4”
77
3/4”
7”3/4”
embedded RFID
FRONT 1/2 SCALE MODELSIDE BACK
TOP
1 3/8”
1/4”
2/5”
1/8”1 3/8”4 3/4” 4 3/4”
78
MAPS
We have located about 18 destinations for the
tour, with a combination of culture, biodiversity
and evolution points depending on the room.
This tour would cover Dinosaur Hall and the
Experimental Gallery (1st floor); Botany, North
America and Africa (2nd floor); and Native
Americans, Polar World and Egypt (3rd floor).
While visitors may choose to visit all points in
a room rather than jump from floor to floor, we
determined that the system is flexible enough
to allow such variation; for the importance lies
more on the content of the cards rather than
the order by which they were collected.
80
PRODUCTION COSTS
PRINTING
We estimated each box to be filled with
50 cards/day, 6 days a week. With 18 card
variations, that's:
50 cards/day x 6 days a week x 4 weeks x 18
= 21,600 cards/month
We contacted a distributor and it costs roughly
$750 for 25,000 cards (4 color, matte, offset press)
BOX
Plywood costs roughly $6/sheet (4 x 8 ft) and taking
into account the cost of materials (wood, glue, stain,
hinges) and labor, each box would cost:
$6.60/box x 18 = about $120 for 18 boxes
(not including labor costs)
RFID
The RFID reader and tag cost:
$70/kit x 18 boxes = $1,260/year
81
Designing an experience was definitely challenging.
We knew we wanted to incorporate the existing
exhibits into the tour, as well as craft a guided tour
that was flexible enough for variation based on the
visitor's personal interests. The hardest part was
defining the content and making sure it was relevant
to the available exhibits.
Overall, this was a meaningful opportunity for us to
better understand how the museum functions and
to discover ways for design to play a role. We are very
excited to have been able to be a part of the new
direction the Carnegie Museum of Natural History is
headed in.
Thank you!
CLOSING THOUGHTS