Environmental
and biological
Most hands-on science exhibitions include very little about wildlife,
biology or environmental subjects. To correct this imbalance, we have
been developing numerous ways of presenting these popular subjects interactively.
Here, you really feel as if you are walking through a wood. The trees
are represented photographically and recorded birdsong plays continuously
from speakers in the hanging fabric "foliage". A moving, dappled
sunlight effect is projected onto the floor. At a low level, "feely-holes"
contain invisible animal models which must be identified by touch alone.
A cute, strokable, indestructible fox keeps watch.
Urban wildlife is represented here. There are more feely-holes in the
"hedge", with a photographic mural behind, showing the fronts
of houses. Extremely robust flip-ups reveal further surprises on the brick
wall.
The important thing in designing an exhibition like this is to maintain
a constant sense of surprise and exploration. You never know what is around
the next corner. And there are plenty of corners.
Another cute, strokable, fibreglass model. "A grey seal can hold
its breath for fifteen minutes : how long can you hold yours?"
There is a simple timer on the wall. We understand that no child has actually
passed out while trying to beat the seal, so far.
"That's life, isn't it? Just sand, and mud." Against
a twinkling fibre-optic background, the recorded voice of a professional
lugworm impersonator sadly explains this estuarine worm's monotonous,
mud-swallowing lifestyle to the child on the left. The source of the sound
periodically appears to move across from one end of the burrow to the
other as the worm reverses up to the surface to add to its squiggly "cast".
The child in the centre has just crawled through a short tunnel with its
own squelchy sound effects.
 
Those recorded-commentary headphone sets you often see in exhibitions
always seem to be broken, don't they? In line with my minimum-maintenance
policy, I have a much better system. And remember, having a button to
press does not necessarily mean true interactivity. People must
always feel free to walk away. There should be plenty of choices, with
each recording only a few seconds long.
We have helped the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds add a hands-on
dimension to many different projects, such as this interactive graphic
panel, one of six, in an observation 'hide' at Lochwinnoch. Here you
see push-button sound effects, a multiple-choice electronic quiz, and
a 'feely-hole', carefully integrated within a panel designed to interprete
the environment outside the window. Sensitive, innovative use of specially
produced solid-state sound-store circuits can be especially useful for
biological and environmental exhibitions.
A sliding magnifier focuses this visitor's attention on some live shrimps.
There are many ways of displaying live specimens interactively in aquaria
etc. Another example is the "steerable spotlight" we developed
recently.
It's always important to find ways of developing empathy between visitor
and subject. This man is about to see the world through the eyes of a
curlew, which has them at the sides of its head like most other birds.
An arrangement of mirrors and lenses inside the model produce the effect.
Fundamental concepts can be communicated to all ages. These sea creatures
can be moved and stuck anywhere in the picture. The text panel, at adult
height, asks, 'Which creatures live on the bottom?' ', Which
creatures swim in the water?' 'Do fish like swimming with the same
kinds of fish?' 'Do some big fish chase and eat smaller
fish?' This is designed to encourage fruitful conversations between
children and accompanying adults.
Our native British basking shark typically grows over 8 metres (27 feet)
long. That's huge: far bigger than the exaggerated rubber model used in
the Jaws films! The method chosen to communicate such dimensions
was to display some of our common local sea monsters at their actual size.
This exhibit makes everybody gasp.
Weatherproof outdoor graphics panels don't always have to be expensive.
 
Also in front of Exploris, the Northern Ireland Aquarium, how about
a 3 metres tall sperm whale tail plunging into the ground?
I also designed the logo for this 1997 temporary exhibition.
We find touch-screen computers useful and reliable for all kinds of roles,
but avoid the common mistake of presenting people with more information
than they want or need. Displays are simple, enticing and user-friendly.
An on-screen encyclopaedia is seldom desirable.
Grab the fishing line and pull up a glow-in-the-dark sea serpent!
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