GD400 Special Topics

In 2016, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences asked NC State graphic designer seniors in my special topics studio to take on a complex problem. One of their key exhibitions—the Acrocanthosaurus Exhibition—was not an autism friendly space. The result: An 8 week project in which seniors leveraged technology to lower barriers.

Take a look below to see the design brief and the resulting student work. To read more about the project, visit the NC State College of Design site.

The Design Brief:

Working with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Office of Accessibility and Inclusion, develop an assistive tool to transform the central dinosaur exhibition at the museum into an autism-friendly experience. This new assistive tool (phone, tablet-based, physical artifact or other embedded technology) should customize the exhibition to better serve the needs of young adults on the Autism spectrum (specific personas to be determined in collaboration with the Office of Accessibility and Inclusion).

The intent here is not to create what can easily be developed by off-the-shelf technology, but rather to design prototypes that challenge what it means to enter a space of tangible artifacts as a visitor with impairments. How can technology personalize the space to meet the needs of each user, thus creating a welcoming, inclusive environment? How can technology augment and enrich individual experiences? How can such an experience tap into current cultural shifts to encourage participation, collaboration or co-creation between users?