Virtual Field Trip
I was tasked in my Interactive Applications class to visit a museum virtual exhibit and its kiosks. The goal of this virtual field trip is to teach me how a kiosk design would give the attendants the related information and space needed for the exhibit. Once I’ve completed the fieldwork and viewed the standards/trends used by these kiosks, I will begin working on my own kiosk project. I chose the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for my virtual field trip.
Links
Smithsonian Virtual Exhibit
The museum’s multiple levels display the many different aerial vehicles and space rovers created by NASA as well as other countries from the beginning of aviation technology, to the space race, and even technology we still use today.
It’s lit very well and there’s more space than required so that many people can move through while others are viewing the exhibits. Pictures and diagrams are high in detail; even if they are old or recovered files, they’re still legible. The displays are large and offer some interaction in person. I wish there was a feature to use the interactive kiosks while going through the virtual tour. The arrangement of each exhibit is spaced out perfectly for a couple of people to read and view them before moving onto the next exhibit, making the flow of visitors move fluidly.
Smithsonian’s Typography
The typography used in the Smithsonian exhibits is easily legible from a distance. Every kiosk and display reads very easily; high contrast of the colors used in the text and the background with a diagram of relevant information of the object. Mainly San Serif font is used across the exhibits, valuing legibility over stylization. The same font is used on each body of text as well as the headlines. The headlines are bold and use a solid bold color palette that matches the border and/or diagrams.
Smithsonian’s Physical Space
The Smithsonian’s use of space is very open (pun intended), with arrangements that are hung up as well as displays that utilize the high ceilings from the ground up. The first-floor exhibit holds a lot of the larger elements like landers, probes, and planes with huge ceilings able to hold up all these impressive displays of early flights. The second-floor exhibit explains different uses of space technology like satellites, spy planes, warplanes, and even ballistic missiles. The feeling of space, the open air, and the technology is meant to astound you with what we’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time; a feat I believe they achieve with each exhibit.
Fun Fact
On the second floor, there are several different cruise missiles on display like this one, the V-1, made by the Nazis in WWII. I was aware that the Nazis made the first operational cruise missile but didn’t know that V-1 stood for “Vengeance Weapon One”. It was renamed by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry from its original designation of Fi 103 after its designer, the Fieseler company.
Overall Impression
I think the Smithsonian would be a great museum to visit once the pandemic ends and use the kiosks myself. Not only would it be a good learning experience, but also give me some creative inspiration using the kiosks and learning their user interfaces. It was nice to “walk” through the exhibits and still be able to easily read the bodies of text at each display.