“Shine a Light” Interactive Installation
Interactive Museum Experience
Motion Design
Soundscapes
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, OH works to educate visitors about inclusive freedom from the past to the present. Rooted in the history of the American Underground Railroad, the institution tells the stories of survivors and works to end oppression around the world. Their work focuses primarily on modern slavery and human trafficking.
The “Shine a Light” installation at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is an interactive experience that allows museum visitors to explore scenes to learn more about human trafficking. Set against familiar rural and urban Midwestern landscapes, each scene contains hidden information. Users shine their “flashlights” at the wall to activate facts and statistics, interviews with real survivors, and background sound and animation. Working with designers, developers, and fabricators at Real Art Design Group, I was in charge of creating motion and sound design that could be handed off for integration.
Motion design for this project heavily focused on typographic animation. Each fact needed to be attention-grabbing and to the point. Fades, wipes, and special treatments for numbers and signatures add a dynamic element to the copy that keeps viewers engaged. Fluttering papers, flocks of birds, and falling snow make each environment feel alive while streaks of color trace through the landscape.
Motion design for this project heavily focused on typographic animation. Each fact needed to be attention-grabbing and to the point. Fades, wipes, and special treatments for numbers and signatures add a dynamic element to the copy that keeps viewers engaged. Fluttering papers, flocks of birds, and falling snow make each environment feel alive while streaks of color trace through the landscape.
The “Shine a Light” installation marked the first time I executed sound design for a project. Using recorded sound from online sources, I created rural and urban soundscapes to accompany each scene. Chirping birds, sirens, a distant highway, and the low clamor of a restaurant weave together to underscore each survivor’s story. I was advised on the final audio mixing and mastering by Real Art’s video production team.
This project presented a number of challenges. Scaling and legibility were concerns as we progressed from on-screen designs to full-scale projections. Each type animation was informed by the amount of copy that needed to appear. Adjustments were continuously made to type design as the project progressed to ensure that each fact was easy to read. To make the experience as smooth as possible, it was imperative to keep the file size of each video to a minimum.
This project presented a number of challenges. Scaling and legibility were concerns as we progressed from on-screen designs to full-scale projections. Each type animation was informed by the amount of copy that needed to appear. Adjustments were continuously made to type design as the project progressed to ensure that each fact was easy to read. To make the experience as smooth as possible, it was imperative to keep the file size of each video to a minimum.