DIMONO:
EVOLUTION PATH
TEAM
Christina Yang
Evelyn Huang
Freya Yang
Malia Hong
TIME
8 weeks
IxD Studio, 2023
Carnegie Mellon University
My Contribution
User Research
Spatial UI/UX Design
XR Prototyper
TOOLS
Unity
Blender
Figma
Adobe After Effects
Full Documentation
of Research & Design
Dimono is a multi-sensory mixed-reality experience design for the permanent exhibition 'Dinosaurs in Their Times' at Carnegie Museum of Natural History for Generation Z. A participatory narrative-driven pathway woven by augmented spatial narratives.
RESEARCH
Why Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH)
To deepen wonder and advance understanding of our natural world—past and present—in order to embrace responsibility for our collective future.
RESEARCH
Why 'Dinosaurs
in Their Time'
Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s core exhibition featuring real dinosaur fossils.
The ‘Dinosaurs in Their Time’ exhibit holds significant importance and value both in the realm of academic research and in public life.
RESEARCH
We focus on GenZ because…
Gen Z visitors are characterized by shorter attention span and high digital literacy supported.
It may be more challenging for them to stay focused on traditional, less interactive museum, potentially impacting their ability to retain information presented in these formats.
RESEARCH QUESTION
How might we enhance engagement and learning for Generation Z visitors with short attention spans and high digital literacy to bridge the gap between visitors and exhibition narratives?
RESEARCH
The Challenge & Opportunity
By incorporating XR interactions and augmented reality, we aim to spark curiosity and enhance learning through immersive storytelling.
Our goal is to convert passing interests into sustained engagement ultimately envisioning CMNH as an interactive, participatory museum.
DESIGN OUTCOME
User Journey
We transform distant historical facts into engaging, relatable narratives that resonate with the modern-day experiences of the guests.
Here are the key moments of our user journey following the below path:
DESIGN OUTCOME
Key Moments
Scenario 1
Embodiment
The personalities of the dinosaurs are presented, and the visitors are encouraged to choose one that they are most emotionally resonated to.
By mimicking the selected dinosaur’s posture, the visitors finish the transformation.
Scenario 2
Onboarding
Taking the mixed-reality headset and collector, understanding how to use the collector
Scenario 3
Interact with Paintings
Approaching and lingering at a painting for over 2.5 seconds activates an informative display. Information appears in the head-up display.
Scenario 4
Transition
Before entering a new period, visitors will be stopped temporarily by a virtual boundary and introduced to how the current period ended and the dinosaur they evolved into.
Scenario 5
Interact with Fossils
The experience let visitors appreciate the authentic dinosaur and the information and stories spatially together by using guided hand gestures.
Scenario 6
Path Collector
In front of each dinosaur fossil, there is an incubator for the users to place the collector in and trigger the interaction.
Visitors can collect interesting dinosaur features by grabbing and place them onto the collector. In the end, users will get a personalized path collector, recording their journey.
Scenario 7
Talk with Iconic Dinosaurs
The talk provides visitors with a more insightful and meaningful experience.
Narration focuses on vividly conveying the exhibit's core theme: the evolution path, designed to inspire visitors with the message: "Life will find a way."
Scenario 8
Take away
Exiting the exhibit, visitors scan their egg tickets to receive a digital version of their collected skeletons. This digital memento serves as a tangible reminder of their journey, allowing them to revisit and reflect on their experience.
DESIGN OUTCOME
Concept Film
Watch this film to experience the multi-sensory journey with dinosaurs in extended-reality by yourself.
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