American Prohibition Museum
Interactive Timeline
I collaborated with the Museum Director and Assistant Director at the American Prohibition Museum in Savannah, GA to identify exhibit needs and create an interactive timeline installation.
Animated Content
Final Proof of Concept
Proof of Concept 1, Touch-Free
Concept
- Interactive display gives viewers the opportunity to drive the experience and focus on their areas of interest, making it meaningful to them
- 37 events from 1735 to 1920 will be featured (Museum will provided one photograph to accompany each event)
- Stylistically, the installation will complement the themes and designs of the museum and surrounding exhibits, utilizing the existing typeface and color schemes
- The design will need to alert users that the display is interactive and draw them into the experience
I want viewers to understand the building and momentum of the prohibition movement. The interactive experience will be engaging enough to make the information effortlessly educational and memorable.
The timeline will be located in the "John Barleycorn" room which covers the passing of the 18th Amendment. This room focuses on the celebrations and commiserations across country as prohibition took effect.
The timeline installation will replace an existing pedestal and plaque about Billy Sunday.
Interface and Interactivity Research
Likes:
- Multiple things to watch/points of interest, seeing a change over time
- Tower of London timeline did a good job of showing time relationships of events
- Multiple timelines at once (comparative)
- Colors/groupings to link similar events
Dislikes:
- Traveling “backwards” in 3D space
- Monotonous, not enough interest/movement
Orientation:
Interactivity is largely dependent upon timeline orientation
x-axis (horizontal)
y-axis (vertical)
z-axis (3D space)
As the user demographic for this project is older,
a horizontal orientation is most appropriate. It is visually clear and familiar enough that guests won't be distracted by the user interface - content is the primary focus
Style Exploration
Typeface (Provided by Museum)
Color Palette (Drawn from Existing Themes)
Timeline Design
An unexpected design challenge arose in the functionality of the timeline; I had to find a look that responded to the movement of the timeline while maintaining clarity and legibility.
Interactivity Exploration: Leap Motion
The Leap Motion controller allows users to interact with digital visuals using a sensor. This is more hygienic than a touch screen and is still affordable. I investigated it as a solution for this project's interactivity.
Visual Inspiration
Originally, the timeline was conceived of as a container for visual information that would be filled with the photographs and copy that accompanied each event. This limited the design to the point that it was not effective. Upon discovery, Hollow: An Interactive Documentary served as the primary inspiration for user experience within the timeline story. By designing the timeline as a scrubbable video, I could take full creative control of the experience.
