NC Museum of Natural Sciences Exhibit Proposal
A proposal for an immersive audio exhibit designed for museum visitors on the autism spectrum.
Sound Imaginings uses bone conduction to deliver soundscapes to visitors.
How does it work?
At each Sound Imaginings location, a speaker translates sound into vibrations. The vibrations travel along the railing, through the bones of the forearm and directly into the bones of the inner ear.
Visitors will discover Sound Imaginings at several different points throughout the museum, which can be identified by a small sign. The image on the sign serves as a visual guide to interacting with Sound Imaginings.
How does it help?
Visiting a museum can be an overwhelming experience. Sound Imaginings allows visitors to retreat from the crowds, enjoy an exhibit from a distance, block out excess noise, and take a moment to relax to a soothing soundscape.
Whether they know it or not, visitors who interact with Sound Imaginings are also helping destigmatize one of the behaviors associated with children on the autism spectrum. Children with autism can be hyper-sensitive to auditory stimuli and may cover their ears as a way of blocking out too much noise. Ear-covering can seem like unusual behavior to people who are unaware of the characteristics of autism. Sound Imaginings works to create a positive association with this pose as visitors place their hands over their ears in order to retreat into the soundscape.
Process Work
User Persona
We began this project by researching the specific challenges that our target audience faces when visiting the museum. We worked the the Autism Society of North Carolina to create user personas that captured the goals, motivations, and frustrations of our users. Some of the challenges our user persona, Marcus, faces are pragmatic communication issues and sleep deficit, resulting in an aversion to overly crowded spaces and loud noises.
Scenario + User Journey Map
Next we developed a scenario for our user persona. The scenario gives a detailed description of his visit to the museum with his mother and younger brother. It paints a picture of both the high points and the low points of their visit. The next step was to create a user journey map in order to further identify the pain points during their visit and the opportunities to intervene.
Ideation + Sketches
Revised Journey Map
Design Team: Lisa Callister, Mallory Schultz, Monica Ampolini, Nicole Robertshaw