State Library Victoria

Map-O-Matic

A wonderful contraption built for the Velvet, Iron, Ashes exhibition. Visitors could craft their own personalised tour that explored the connections between two seemingly unrelated objects.

Booth interactive animation.

Six degrees of separation

Velvet, Iron, Ashes was an exhibition showcasing Victorian history, curated by the brilliant Carolyn Fraser. Our goal was to build upon Carolyn’s work which highlighted unexpected connections between objects that initially seemed unrelated.

After various ideas, we developed the Map-O-Matic. This unique machine allowed visitors to choose any two objects and receive a personalised tour exploring their connections within six objects or less.

My involvement

I had the wonderful opportunity to work on this exciting project as part of my work with Sandpit. Key collaborators were Anita Gigi Budai as the Exhibition Designer, and Onset Arts who manufactured the Map-O-Matic cabinets.

Concepting

Brainstorming and developing creative ideas to create an interactive experience that could best support the Velvet, Iron, Ashes exhibition.

Prototyping

Creating multiple prototypes to help define the experience, physical ergonomics, and accessibility requirements.

UI design

Crafting an enchanting interface that captured the essence of the exhibit, the exhibition visual aesthetics, while maintaining a user-friendly design.

Animation

Adding subtle and delightful animations to the Map-O-Matic to enhance interactivity and create a additional whimsy for users.

Testing

Conducting rigorous testing to identify and address any usability issues, ensuring that the Map-O-Matic functioned smoothly and provided an enjoyable experience for all visitors.

Update animations

Wide lens image of bright red Map-O-Matic machine shown in the gallery. Moody, darkened lighting.

A Rube Goldberg-esque interface

During discussions with the client and Exhibition Designers, we had the fortunate opportunity to explore creative freedom and inject a touch of whimsy into the project. Although we didn't fully embrace a Rube Goldberg interactive like discussed in the concept phase, we retained a playful and mechanical vibe to the UI.

Slideshow for UI below

Map-O-Matic UI where the user has not yet selected any object. Has a column of colourful icons on left and right side, on a pale yellow background. Text says "Select two objects to see how they are connected".

Scout patch icons

The icons were intentionally designed to provide a hint of each object without revealing specific details, ensuring equal chances for all objects to be chosen and explored by visitors.