The National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) located in Memphis, Tennessee had been working with my professor, Derek Ham, to create a Virtual Reality (VR) experience. The museum also planned to create an exhibit to house the new VR experience, and upon Derek's request agreed to work with his and his colleague's classes in the Fall of 2017 and Spring of 2018 semesters. My class was then given the opportunity to design museum exhibits that would house and enhance the VR experience created by Derek.
Our class was split into multiple teams, with four to five people per team, with the goal of coming up with a diverse set of design solutions. The teams were asked to focus on maintaining the museum's brand identity, while creating a sub-identity unique to the VR experience, and to create an immersive experience for the museum's visitors. Each team would have the opportunity to present our ideas to the museum throughout the Fall semester before the winning team or teams would be chosen to continue refining their design. Below is my team's (Team Five's) final proposal to the National Civil Rights Museum. Team Five was made up of myself, Maggie Foley, Clara May, and Rachel Pollock.
An image captured from Fusion of the view a visitor would be greeted with as they entered the VR Room.
An image of the view straight down the VR room, emphasizing the view of the glass-enclosed VR bays at the end of the room.
The view looking out from the VR bays into the rest of the exhibit.
First wall on the left upon entering the VR room discussing the Sanitation Strike in 1968.
Long wall first visible upon entering the VR room which provides visitors with the name of the exhibit and more detailed information regarding the experiences of those involved in the 1968 Sanitation Strike.
The wall just before the VR bay provides more information regarding VR safety and instructions on how to use the equipment.
The decal that would be placed on the glass wall separating the VR bays from the rest of the room.
A wall inside the VR bay which incorporates more branding, and a place for visitors to place their belongings and the VR equipment while they enter and exit the experience.
The graphic on the back wall of the VR bay that helps to make the visitor appear and feel as though they are immersed in the history.
A close up of the 1968 Sanitation Strike wall from our physical model.
A close up of the Perspectives wall from our physical model.
An overview of the physical model.
An image from approximate eye level using our physical model for scale.
After presenting our final proposals to the National Civil Rights Museum, we had Winter Break, which allowed the museum the opportunity to review all of the designs presented to them. Upon returning to school in the Spring, three teams were revealed to have been chosen by the museum to continue refining a final design for the museum. My team was one of the teams that was continuing on and we have been working on refining the final exhibition design, as well as a traveling exhibit and other promotional materials since.
Final Exhibition Designed with:
Derek Ham
Scott Townsend
Shadrick Addy
Clara May
Rachel Pollock
Maggie Foley
Chris Bullock
Cole Ferguson
Daniela Padilla Guerrero
Felix Chang
Gabriella Wikidal
Hannah Rizza
Kennedy Liggett