Home > The Einsteins
City of Ulm
3 Design Interns
4 Developers
1.5 years
Task
Objectives
The exhibits cover a broad technological and interactive design spectrum, from classic video and touch stations to translucent screens and an interactive collection wall for up to five users.
The museum's media guide acts as a smart and interactive companion. It enables users to expand the exhibition content virtually by simply scanning QR codes. At a large family tree as well as many other points, it is possible to select different protagonists as guides. Their history can be explored with custom-made graphic novels and exciting additional information in the context of the respective station.
This exhibit combines the latest technological possibilities with the need for clear and easily accessible information.
A conventional and a translucent screen were placed in front of each other in the recess of an old window. The resulting parallax effect makes it possible to show users the significant changes in individual places in Ulm through dynamic transitions and changes between the resulting layers.
The “Collection Wall” exhibit enables users to explore an extremely large number of image, text and video files on the life and work of the Einstein family. All content is synchronized in real time and flows as a meandering ribbon across all monitors. This ensures a coherent, expansive presentation that is able to visualize the sheer volume of objects in a compelling way. The menu navigation allows viewers to compare the statements of the different people. Audio is provided in German and English via handsets. Ulm stools invite visitors to linger.
Life-size interviews with Einstein's descendants can be explored in dialog on a touchscreen installation. The menu navigation allows viewers to compare the statements of the different people. Audio is provided in German and English via handsets. Ulm stools invite visitors to linger.
Favourite Moments
Challenges
Working through different paths of interaction, starting with debriefing the concept, the developing flow charts and wireframes.
Flow Chart
Interactive Wireframes
Using the Media guide I developed a Design System that is applicable to all other stations.
After the final texts were delivered, the design could be finalized and the coded prototype could be testet inhouse and with the client. A few design details were iterated in this process.
In prototypes we tested the interaction in full size, partially with and partially without the original hardware. The prototypes were used to test the interaction and the design in a realistic context.
Since the Collection Wall is a very large exhibit, we had to test if the speed of the animation was appropriate for the size of the wall. This was achieved in collaboration with the developers, who created a prototype of the wall in the office.
The animation had to be tested on the original setup, because there are a translucent and a conventional screen in different sizes in front of each other. The resolving parallax effect was also tested in the prototype and if the line transitions fits the picture in the background
— Wanna work together?