Solar System Museum Exhibit

We designed and prototyped an accessible exhibit that helps patrons to experience the vastness of the solar system while learning about the planets. We did this by providing not just information, but an embodied experience made possible through walking and the manipulation of temperature and light. We also took into consideration accessibility issues in our museum installation design. To develop empathy so that we might understand disabilities better, we designed and conducted disability bodystorming experiences for each member of our team. These experiences challenged our understandings and feelings towards persons with disabilities, and provided several insights for accessible design.

We began our design process by visiting several museums in order to research exhibits and observe patrons' behavior. Using insight from our museum research and our disability experiences we created two separate prototypes with the goal of evaluating if we could help people "feel" the distances in the solar system. We conducted these evaluations with several participants and iterated on the design and prototype. The following video provides further details about our process, results, and future considerations.