Overview
In our research, we reached out to 35 Children’s Museums across the U.S. to learn more about their exhibits, visitors, and audiences. We also sent surveys to parents, teachers, and adults to learn about their familiarity with Interactive Learning and how their children/students responded to it. Our biggest challenge was gathering responses from children, even though they are our main target audience. We found it difficult to reach children and obtain permits to conduct surveys with them. We were able to get a few surveys from children at the local library. Additionally, we learned more about them through our other surveys, interviews, and additional research.
Our research influenced our target audience age range and helped us solidify the way our exhibit will function. We are now targeting younger kids and using more motion reactive technology and interactive projections. We also learned that technology is not used in many children’s museums due to funding, budgets and maintenance.
Surveys:
We conducted four surveys targeted at parents, children, teachers, and children’s museums. Here are some statistics that we discovered from our survey results.
Parents & Teachers
95.8%
have heard of interactive learning
57.3%
have experience using interactive learning
94.8%
have heard of sensory learning
59.4%
have experience using sensory learning
Parents
97.6%
reported that their kids have access to screens at home
78%
reported that their kids have an hour or more of screen time per day
90.2%
reported that their kids spend an hour or more outside everyday
91.5%
reported that their child is interested in exploring new environments
The top three types of technology their kids are using at home are:
TVs
Phones
Laptops
The top three activities their kids are doing outside:
Walking/Running/Hiking
Sports
Playing on a playground
The top three types of environments their kids were interested in exploring:
Ocean
Forest
Cities
96.3%
have taken their children to a children’s museum
82.3%
reported that their children were highly engaged at the children’s museum
Types of exhibits their children enjoyed most:
Tactile Exhibits
Kinesthetic Exhibits
Auditory Exhibits
Visual Exhibits
76.7%
use interactive learning in their classroom
Teachers
46.5%
use sensory play in their classroom
93%
use technology in their classrooms
The top three types of technology used in their classrooms:
Computers (Desktops and Laptops)
Tablets
Games
93%
have been to a children’s museum
90.7%
have a positive view of children’s museums
What they LIKE about children’s museums:
Offers activities that meet every learners needs
Hands-on experiences
Provides a learning experience outside of the classroom
Kids learn while having fun
Student-led exploration
Learn new ways to explain difficult concepts to children
Real world on a child’s level (Kid-sized grocery store, vet clinic, bank, etc.)
Variety of things to do
What they DISLIKE about children’s museums:
Germs
Crowded
Poorly behaved children with unaccountable parents
Outdated exhibits
Screaming
Price/Cost
Chaotic
Text in exhibits is at a higher reading level than the children who attend
Geared towards younger children, nothing for older kids
Children
100%
use technology at home and in school
70%
use technology at home every day
80%
go outside every day
90%
like exploring nature
The top three topics they like learning about:
Art and Music (tied)
Technology and Science (tied)
Animals and Sports (tied)
Children’s Museums
We sent out a survey to children’s museums around the nation and asked them about their most popular exhibits and what types of elements kids like most.
72.7%
of child visitors are between the ages of 5-11
The top three most engaging elements found in exhibits:
Physical Objects/Structures
Imagery
Motion Reactive and Storytelling and Games (three-way tie)
The top three most popular topics in exhibits:
Animals
Art and Science and Games (three-way tie)
Space
Interview with Brazos Valley Children’s Museum
In addition to surveying children’s museums, we conducted an in-person interview with our local children’s museum in Brazos Valley.
Q: What age range of children visit your museum most frequently?
A: 4-8 years is most popular, around 8 is when they become disinterested. Mostly local families, lots of homeschooled kids visit.
Q: What is the process of building an exhibit? (Ideations, Construction, etc.)
A: It depends on the exhibit. Some are designed and built in house by museum staff or members of the community. Bigger exhibits are outsourced. Grants and donations are needed to build them.
Q: How have you incorporated technology into your museum?
A: We have not had many opportunities to incorporate technology due to funding. We used TVs and some computers during summer camps (games to understand topics, videos, etc.). Kids responded to it well since they are familiar with technology.
Q: How do you conduct user research while kids are using the exhibits? (Time engaged, eye-tracking, etc.)
A: Observation and seeing where kids stay the longest, watching how they interact, sometimes timing them.
Q: Is there anything else we should know?
A: Kids are rough on exhibits, can break pieces they can touch. Kids will react with exhibits differently depending on interests and moods. Sometimes parents will end up at exhibits longer because their kids “ditch” them.
User Research
Target Audience:
Our target audiences are:
Kids ages 5-11
Parents
Teachers/Educational Facilities
User Personas and Empathy Maps
Based on our survey results, interviews, and desk research, we constructed three user personas with corresponding empathy maps that represent each member of our target audience.
User Persona #1: April Stansen
User Persona #2: Susanne Trill
User Persona #3: Stephen Zavala
User Journey
This flow chart demonstrates the steps taken by the user when interacting with Odyssey.
Market Research
456
children’s museums in the U.S
30 million
individuals around the world visit children’s museums annually
75%
of respondents agreed that technology enhances visitor engagement and offers a more interactive experience. (survey conducted by the American Alliance of Museums)
34%
increase in visitor satisfaction in museums that incorporated AR and virtual reality (VR) experiences
Competitive Market Analysis
Not many Children’s Museums have/are able to incorporate interactive technology into their museums due to funding, space, or minimal staff. Museums in bigger cities are typically the ones with newer technology. From our research, we know exhibits that use technology and interaction are more engaging for children. They are familiar with it and it is usually used in a way they haven’t experienced before.
We are bringing technology to a Museum that doesn’t get to use it that often (Brazos Valley Children’s Museum). Children’s Museums are a Red Ocean, but they are a thriving business and exhibits vary so much. Direct Competitors are Museums in your area. Tourists/Locals may be drawn to Museums with better or more engaging exhibits.
Exhibits in the Same Category as Odyssey
Dream Tomorrow Today
Objective: Learn how to positively impact the future and become empowered agents of change through fun, immersive experiences.
The Do Seum (San Antonio, TX)
Kids can design their future city, take care of a garden (touch screens), dress themselves inn futuristic clothes with an interactive projection.
Protect Earth!
Objective: interactive game, you have to protect Earth from current dangers from outer space. Use a shield to guard our planet from comets, meteorites, UV radiation and solar wind.
NEMO (Amsterdam)
Interactive Project game
Using Physical shields to protect earth.
Unearthed
Objective: Natural science exhibit aimed at building environmental literacy and cultivating respect for the natural world through observation, exploration, and investigation.
Creative Discovery Museum (Chattanooga, TN)
Kids learn about the earth and what is in the dirt.
Interactive projection with sand pit where kids can learn about topography.
Hideaway Woods
Objective: Get kids to see nature in a new light. Allow them to play outside.
Museum of Life and Science (Durham, NC)
Huge tree houses with bridges and slides
Woodland stream where they can interact with water
Can pick up objects like pine cones and leaves and interact with them
Creative Research
Functions of Visual Design
Influence learner’s cognition
Influence learner’s emotion
The connections between design, colors, emotions, and cognitive learning are crucial for igniting the interest of children, keeping them engaged, and inspiring them to learn further.
Perceiving Graphics and Colors in Design
From ages 5-10, children’s motor, physical, social, and cognitive skills are developing. In this developmental process, kids are drawn to finding their favorite artifacts, activities, and colors. They begin to attach emotions to colors and graphics, and in this age range, they begin to become drawn to graphics that are slightly more detailed and more immersive.
There is a marked preference for digital games for this age range. This ties back to children being more drawn to immersive digital environments.
Ages 5-10 like to see bold colors and interactive graphics, however there is a fine line between it being an inviting design and a design that causes cognitive or sensory overload. Using bold colors without using an excessive amount of colors is what is most likely to draw the eye of children this age. Introducing slightly more complex designs (without it being too complex to where it takes away from the main content) is what interests children this age. Finding this balance in design is what stimulates the development of the children’s cognitive abilities.
Correlation Between Colors and Development
Incorporating colors (through design) into learning is a primary way to help people learn new topics, improve their cognitive abilities, enhance their memory, and stimulate their emotions.
The way colors evoke emotions is especially important for children. As their brains are developing, when they see certain colors, they begin to associate them with certain items, recognize patterns, and improve their memory.
A study in 2018 described how colors help growing learners increase their attention levels on certain information, that information gets transferred to short and long term memory, and increase the chances of them memorizing that information.
The study also identified certain warm colors such as reds, oranges, and yellows to be ideal for increasing learner’s attention and stimulating their participation in activities.
Technology Research
How Will it Work?
5 illustrated backgrounds of different biomes, drawn in Adobe Illustrator
Various assets for each biome, drawn in Adobe Illustrator
Upload backgrounds and assets into TouchDesigner
Connect camera to TouchDesigner for motion-tracking
Connect potentiometer with Arduino board
Code Arduino board to gather data from potentiometer
Connect Arduino board with TouchDesigner
Enclose potentiometer inside globe
Required Technology
Projector/Screen
Camera and Tripod
HDMI Cable
Computer
Potentiometer
Arduino Board and Wires
Exhibits with Similar Technology
Dynamic Floor
Immersive Interactive Projection Games