EYES OF THE ARBORETUM

UI/UX, motion effects
Duration: 5 weeks | Fall 2021

Salute Design Competition | Merit Award Interactive/Video/Motion category

A supplement to the experience inside the Arboretum at Penn State to help visitors see and understand the difference between human vision and the vision of creatures in the Arboretum and why they behave in a certain way.

Collaboration:
William Ren
Penn State Arboretum

Why?

After visiting the Arboretum at Penn State, not many people know how Birds, Butterflies, and Bees see differently than us. My partner and I were very intrigued by this fact and decided to design this experience to show visitors this Hidden World.

User scenario

We sent out a survey to students on Campus with questions about the Arboretum and Technology. And with the information, we decided on our deliverables and created a user scenario.

Deliverables

1. Oversized Screen

Our 8ftx 10ft screen will be located at the entrance of the Pollinator’s Garden. Being this big, visitors can immerse themselves in the vision of the pollinators. They can visualize if the pollinators are human size. That is how the pollinators will see them. The screen will be motion-tracked with gesture-based technology.

2. Wayfinding/ Recommended Photo Spots

An onboard page that shows visitors what our wayfinding points look like.

Spots on the ground suggest to visitors that this is a location where you should use the filter to see the pollinators under their eyes.

The QR code is present on each Wayfinding so that visitors who did not have the chance to interact with the screen can still scan the application.

3. Mobile Application

Notification can be enabled to let you know when you arrive at a recommended photo spot. The app allows the visitors to “swap eyes” with the pollinators, explore the Arboretum on their own, and share their experiences on social media.

RESULT

We have created a complete experience utilizing technology as a supplement that can showcase the “Hidden World: The Eyes of the Arboretum.” It was also an excellent opportunity to collaborate with the Arboretum of Penn State. We are also glad to recieve a Merit Award from Salute Design Competition in the Graphic Design: Interactive/Video/Motion category.