Designing the MUSEUM EXPERIENCE

COMPANY
SPYSCAPE
ROLE
UX
SPYSCAPE is a new interactive spy museum based in New York, where through a series of interactive challenges the visitor can find out which type of spy they could be.

The results of the challenges are saved on an RFID band which the visitor is handed at the beginning of the experience.

My Role

As part of the in-house creative team I worked as an Interactive UX designer building - from concept to production - the interactive challenges of the main museum exhibition.

I worked closely with the lead UX designer to develop the experience of each of the interactive challenges as well as how they worked together to create cohesive experience.

Among the tasks were low and hi fi prototyping, off-site and on-site user testing, user flows, wireframes, QA testing, assisting content filming and voice recording.

I was fortunate to be part of a wonderful team of creative director, project managers, visual designers, developers, motion graphic designers, copy writers, content creators, sound designers as well as hackers, ex-spies and many other administrative roles and contractors in London and New York.

SPY CHALLENGES

Six interactive challenges were created for the permanent museum exhibition. The theme for each one was set by the narratives of the galleries they were located in.

ENCRYPTION

Using a cypher to encrypt and decrypt messages, the visitor communicates with an agent in the field and attempts to instruct them to safety.

Using the unique RFID band, the visitor can tap to start their encryption challenge on the touch screen table. The lights above change colour to highlight if the encryption was correct and the moving letters wall will showcase the messages sent by the visitor to the agent in the field.

DECEPTION

The visitor will be introduced to some body and facial signs that could indicate a person is lying. They will put their newly acquired knowledge to the test firstly by going under an interrogation themselves and secondly by trying to spot the signs on someone else.

The deception booths have been design to create an 'interrogation-like' experience. They are equipped with pulse sensor and facial recognition software designed to spot some body and facial signs on the visitor.

SURVEILLANCE

This challenge tests visitors’ observation skills. They will be asked a series of timed questions about the activity taking place on footage from more than 60 CCTV cameras.

To complete this challenge, the visitor listens to each of the questions through a headset and provides their answer directly through the mic. The cctv footage is projected on the walls of the circular room creating an immersive 360 experience.

SPECIAL OPS

In this challenge, the visitor puts their physical skills to the test by pressing as many buttons as possible while avoiding lasers, or their time will be reduced.

A complete spy experience is not complete if it doesn't include a laser tunnel. Lasers, buttons, and limited time are part of this experience which along with the sound and lighting design provide a big shot of adrenaline.

QUESTION STATIONS

While the other challenges test the visitor on their spy traits, the Question stations focus on assessing their personality, risk and mental ability.

Question station posts are scattered throughout the museum for the visitor to complete as their leisure while the move through the gallery. I led this interactive from concept to production working alongside ex-spy trainers to produce an accurate and reliable test while maintaining a good level of engagement.

DEBRIEF

Finally, the visitor's will download their scores into the debrief station which will analyse and reveal to them the type of spy they could be.

The debrief interactive is equipped with a spy role algorithm created by ex-spy trainers, to analyse the user's scores and present back the type of spy they could be.

People I worked closely with

Elly Bowness - Lead UX designer
Elise Wade, Angelica Araujo - Visual design
Ross Phillips - Creative director
Smita Das - Project Manager
Tim Brooke, William Hooke, Dan Hart, Andrew Hilton, Bob Hatamian - Development
Lee-John Ball - CTO
Justas Motuzas - Interaction designer
Lee Murray - Hardware lead
Hans lo, Zach Ellams, Neil Grunshaw - Motion design
Liam Devereux - Illustrator
Violet Berlin - Copywriter

Would you like to know more?

I have put together a case study detailing the process of the project, challenges and other bits of data, you need a password to get in, if you don’t have it and would like to read about it, please get in touch.

VIEW CASE STUDY

Other Work