Melbourne Zoo

Dinos at the Zoo

An enchanting on-site experience that educated users about dinosaurs, and habitat destruction alongside animatronic dinosaurs.

Unleashing prehistoric knowledge

Sandpit was bought in to create a supporting interactive experience at the Melbourne Zoo as part of their Dinos at the Zoo experience.

For each dinosaur we designed a booth ready to dispense dinosaur facts and stories of how the emerging climate emergencies are affecting present day animals at the tap of a card.

A zoo visitor scanning their Junior Researcher card against the booth.

Fact or story

Upon entry to the Dinos at the Zoo area visitors were given one of two lanyards with NFC cards depending on their age — Researcher or Junior Researcher

On scanning the card, the visitor will receive a fact or a story about another animal who is also suffering due to a habitation emergency.

Designing for outdoors

Creating an experience for an extended outdoor posed specific challenges. Through prototyping I experimented with several screens and colour variations to achieve the most vibrant contrast regardless of weather.

Rainproofing, spotty wifi, and unsuccessful attempts at bug insect proofing were all challenges we faced.

My involvement

Prototyping

I created and assisted with designing multiple prototypes that allowed us to determine which screens would look best in outdoor conditions, ergonomic positioning, and timing.

Animation

I had full control over animating the booth screens, ensuring they would effectively captivate and educate visitors.

Testing

Over multiple site visits I worked with Sandpit's developer to ensure all the booths were operational, connected to wifi, documented and working as intended.

Update animations

Researcher and Junior Researcher lanyard cards being held against visitors palm of hand.