Sea turtles rely on jellyfish as their main food source, but the unfortunate similarity between jellyfish and plastic waste is proving fatal to these marine creatures. Once plastic is ingested, it blocks their digestive tracts, preventing them from properly digesting any other food. Plastic pollution is a growing threat to the planet, as it continues to accumulate in our oceans and harm the wildlife that inhabits them. Despite the severity of this issue, the World Wildlife Foundation has found that the general public and other stakeholders are not sufficiently educated on the dangers of plastic pollution and how they can be a part of the solution.
Through user interviews I sought to understand why users are unwilling to learn more despite the prevalence of plastic pollution in popular media and politics.
Everyone is busy and nobody wants to spend their limited free time worrying about global issues. It is not that people do not understand the issue, the problem is that research is boring.
By altering two key factors, a user will be more open to learning:
I visited Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada to observe the visitors and see for myself how interactive exhibits make learning fun.
The most successful exhibits utilized these three design principles:
The aquarium is large and separated into a variety of different sections. In order to choose the best location for my exhibit, I created a behavioural map to understand how users interact with the space.
The maps below show the density of visitors in each section of the aquarium. Visitors quickly walked through green areas without taking the time to look around. The more red areas represents points of congestion where there were many visitors crowded in a single area. The ideal area will have a good flow of visitor traffic without being over saturated with other attractions.
Rainbow reef was selected as it has an ideal flow of traffic, large empty spaces, and allows users to learn about sea turtles right before seeing them in the Dangerous Lagoon.
Based on the results of the participant observation, I created a prototype that utilizes movement and the picture superiority effect to educate users.
The installation exhibits the similarities between jellyfish and plastic bags. Users are able to experience this likeness by using hand motions to control a circle on the screen and reveal what the jellyfish really are. This interactive approach helps users understand how easily a sea turtle can mistake plastic for food. The installation is designed to blend in with a typical aquarium exhibit but with an added surprise that is triggered when someone walks by, capturing users' attention. The exhibit can accommodate multiple users at once, making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Before development I conducted Wizard of Oz testing with users to test the prototype. Through the user testing, I gathered a lot of valuable feedback such as how the height of the exhibit can impact the experience. It is important that a user’s hands can trigger the interaction while in a resting position so that users can enjoy the installation even if they are just passing by.
After implementing feedback from user testing, the design was ready to be developed. This exhibit was created with JavaScript, using the p5.js and PoseNet libraries. The user’s input of hand motion is captured by a camera which is processed through the code and outputted onto a LCD display screen.
The minimal materials required for this installation ensures that it is versatile enough to be placed in any aquarium space. While an LCD screen is ideal, the code can also accommodate existing display screens or even portable projectors.
With development and design completed, I created concept art to visualize the final installation.
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I created this project due to a desire to understand the problem space. When I began this project, I had no idea I would be creating an interactive exhibit. It is always fascinating to see the value of primary research and where it can lead a project. I always enjoy experimenting with unique solutions to a problem space and this project was no different. I was able to learn the UX principles behind interactive exhibits and create unique interactions with JavaScript libraries that align with those principles. With more time and technical experimentation, I feel I could have elevated this exhibit by introducing movement to the jellyfish and giving them a sense of life. Overall, I had a lot of fun working on this personal project and I will continue exploring unique solutions in future design challenges.
