Nanoland Exhibit
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
How do you get people excited about nanotechnology — a field in which nothing can be seen with the human eye?
Electron microscope manufacturer FEI and OMSI wanted an exhibit that would excite visitors about the tiny worlds their machines allow scientists to explore.
Our design invited all visitors to Nanoland with a catch: Everyone who entered the exhibit had to imaginatively "shrink down" in order to walk through the wonderful and bizarre nano scale worlds of the human body, a geothermal pool, and a metal alloy. In each landscape, visitors quickly learned about their unique properties and were challenged to abide by those laws to navigate scaled up environments modeled after the real-life nano-sized worlds.
We collaborated closely with nano scientists and the OMSI design and fabrication teams. We inspired them to step outside their comfort zone to reimagine an under-used public space and test new visitor flows, signage methods and tone of voice. The result was a successful exhibit by all measures, from increased foot traffic to social media posts, and a new template for interactive engagement.
Team
Team
Team
Creative Direction
Kelsey Snook
Graphic & Experience Design Betsy Lance
Environment Design
Laurence Sarrazin
Illustration
Will Bryant
Copywriting and Content Development
Christy Peterson
Research
Michelle Swinehart
Exhibit Coordination
Timothy Hecox
Production
Martha Schnitler
Ada Hays
THANK YOU
To our nano scientists and experts!
Danielle Jorgens, Research Assistant Professor, Multiscale Microscopy Core, Oregon Health & Science University
Claudia Lopez, Ph.D., director of the Multiscale Microscopy Core, Oregon Health & Science University
Kurt Langworthy and Josh Razink, CAMCOR Nanofabrication and Imaging Facility in Eugene
Bill Wood, professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Portland State University
Kenneth Stedman, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University
Sponsor
FEI
