Brief:
To re-organise the Natural History Museum’s current zones (red, orange, green and blue) so that the areas within the zones are more similar in nature. To accompany this re-organisation, provide way finding material and information about each of the zones for the museums visitors.
Tone:
Informative and clear, yet light hearted and playful
Audience: Concept:
Visitors of the museum, including tourists and families Inform and direct visitors towards the llocation of each of the zones.
Icons:
Way finding:
Using the colour of the zones to identify where the areas were located and symbols to summarise each of the areas appropriately. The icons helped define the design direction for the deliverables most notably the map. By separating each of the zones, the information is presented in more manageable sections. Tabs are used for quick access to specific maps. A larger version of the map has been proposed to be transferred using vinyl onto the wall of the museum, by the entrance.
Environmental Way Finding:
As well as the maps available at the museum, these examples of way finding demonstrate what would be done for each of the areas of the 4 zones. Younger visitors of the museum are likely to use this method of way finding rather than the maps.
Orange Zone:
Way finding for the Creepy Crawlies area of the zone. Using the the ant icon, in the form of vinyl stickers that lead visitors towards the area. Combined with signage to be places on a corner of a wall, made from acrylic plastic. The imagery of the line of ants is mimicked on this.
Red Zone:
Way finding for the Earthquakes area of the zone. The crack design would be applied to the floor leading up to the entrance of the area, again using vinyl. Where the crack is displayed on the signage, this would be cut out of the signage to reveal the museum wall underneath.
Blue Zone:
The way finding for the birds area would be made up of vinyl stickers to be placed on the ceiling and on the floor. On the ceiling would be imagery of birds flying towards the area, in the shape of an arrow. Beneath them, on the floor, would be stickers resembling bird droppings. This would be a light hearted way of drawing attention to the stickers on the ceiling.
Green Zone:
The dinosaur area is one of the biggest attractions to the museum and so this way finding is suitably high impact. Layers are needed for the appearance of depth, with the top teeth being transferred onto the back wall. The signage in contrast is very relaxed, and quite placid. This reflects the very different natures of the species.
Information Leaflets:
An example of the information leaflets to be available at the Natural History Museum. This specific leaflet is for the Green Zone. It contains information about what areas are in the zone, which level they are based on, which building and key things to look out for. The leaflet is duplex printed on matt stock. Tabs are used to section off each area which is consistent with the map design.
iPhone Application:
Proposed design for an iPhone awpplication which gives information about how to get to the museum, zones and levels. Once at the museum the applications audio guide can be used in association with numbers relating to different species within the area, available in several languages.
Touch Screens:
The interactive screens can be used to access similar information that exists within the information leaflet, but in more depth. It can also be used to find out directions to certain areas from the location of the screen.