The annual senior thesis exhibition is the culmination of our four years in the University of Minnesota graphic design program. For my exhibit, I designed an activity that guides visitors through a series of prompts about their science experiences. The end result was a community-built data visualization made from LEGO bricks.
Exhibit Description: Everyone has a science identity. Whether you work in a specialized science field or flunked physics class and swore off science forever, you likely have an ingrained feeling of whether you are—or aren't—a "science person." My interactive exhibit invites visitors to investigate where this feeling came from. Using data visualization tactics, the exhibit guides visitors through an activity that culminates in a colorful, community-built design piece.
Project Summary Video
Concept & Development
Going into this project, I wanted to make my exhibit interactive to take full advantage of the physical medium. I also wanted to incorporate the topic of science identity, which I had explored in my thesis paper.
I sketched about a dozen data visualization concepts before settling on the final design. Can you spot which idea evolved into LEGO bricks?
Partway through development, I roped in my younger brother's friends to user test the activity. Their feedback helped me refine the prompts and anticipate visitors' questions.
Brand Design
Throughout the design process, my number one priority was to highlight the activity and community visualization. With this goal in mind, I created a functional and minimal exhibit brand that pairs the LEGO colors with accessible typography.
I made this 8-second looping logo animation to explore what kind of motion graphics I wanted to use in the walkthrough video. And also for fun.
Finished Exhibit
During user testing, the first question that participants always asked was "how did you choose the prompts?" To address this, each of the six signs flips up to reveal the theme, explanations, and sources.
Final Visualization: 150+ LEGO Towers
Below is a photo of what the visualization looked like after the exhibition's closing event. Over 150 people added their LEGO towers and minifigures to the wall over the course of the week.
