Newark Museum of Art

Discovering the role of science in the museum and creating interactive and immersive solutions.

Team

Michelle Ammirati
Erin Lee Carman
Luis Marin
Chevara Naidoo
Tatiana DiSanti

Role

Team Leader
Researcher
Strategist
Facilitator
Storyteller

Initial Challenge

Explore what ‘Science’ means in the context of the Newark Museum of Art.

Proposed Solutions

Create an Adventure Zine (short-term, immediate implementation option)
Ideation game for staff (short-term)
Reimagine Dynamic Earth as the CoLab (long-term option)

Methods
Desk research
Intercept, internal and external stakeholder interviews
NJ resident and museum member surveys
Competitive and industry trends analyses
Museum personas
Observation
Client workshops
Stakeholder mapping
Prototyping

Proposed Science Framework

The Newark Museum of Art believes that the role of science, is the pursuit of knowledge that supports the creation and integrity of art. It lives in the way stories are shared and in the artifacts that are born from great ideas. Science allows us to question, experiment and learn whilst connecting with our diverse audiences to bring out their curiosity, and to satiate their thirst for knowledge through meaningful and memorable experiences.

Celebrate Knowledge

Encourage play and experimentation
Foster an “always learning” mindset

Cultivate a Sense of Belonging

Share stories
Provide a sense of “place”

Divergent Solutions

Anything is possible
Systems thinking
Skill Development
Art of Making

Cultural Integrity

Community Acknowledgment and respect
Honor History
Awareness of cultural issues

Insight and Strategies

Key driving insight:

Adults, not just children, engage more when there is an element of play and gamification to a task. They are more responsive and approach the task with a sense of wonder.

Strategic direction #1:

To create interactive and immersive experiences that deliver science through the art of play to Planners, Explorers and Entertainment Seekers via an Adventure Zine.

Strategic direction #2:

To give the Newark Museum of Art staff an opportunity to ideate through a process of gamification.

Strategic direction #3:

To create a connected experience narrative in the previous Dynamic Earth space by making it the CoLab

CoLab Concept

The CoLab will become a space where museum visitors experience the overlaps, collaboration, and interwoven narratives of science and art.

We created exhibit mood boards and layouts to prototype the experience and tested the design to improve upon it.

*Storyboard of exhibit design in both spaces*

Tying together strategies

We recommended the museum develop 5 distinct micro-exhibits or experiences using objects from the museum’s own science collection to tell the story of the objects by using the internal card game we developed for them. The exhibits should perpetuate the new space’s POV: where science meets art.

*Prototype of example exhibit design layout and interactive elements*