Exhibit Content, Design, and Software Development
Why War: The Causes of Conflict, Interactive Visitor Experience
Client:
Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum
Venue/Location:
Paine Field, Everett, Washington
Browse:
highlights
Why War: The Causes of Conflict
Visitors approach the Why War exhibit
Examining the risk factors that cause conflict
Examining the risk factors that cause conflict
Quote wall shows divergent viewpoints
Visitors using the Interactive History Timeline of American Wars
Attract mode detail of the Interactive History Timeline of American Wars
Visitors using the Interactive History Timeline of American Wars
Touchscreen interface presenting content within the Interactive History Timeline of American Wars
Visitors using the Interactive History Timeline of American Wars
Visitor exploring the Interactive History Timeline of American Wars
Touchscreen interface includes the ability to select any of the eight American wars from any given station
Touchscreen interface presenting content within the Interactive History Timeline of American Wars
The nature of war changed forever with the introduction of the atom bomb
The nature of war changed forever with the introduction of the atom bomb
The Conflict Simulator games challenging students in The Command Station
The Conflict Simulator includes scenarios where users are asked to make tough decisions
Visitors can choose from an array of scenarios
Each scenario includes a unique set of advisors who communicate the challenge, and then provide advice along the way
Interface still from the Conflict Simulator game
Based on the decisions they make, visitors are assigned archetypes that describe what kind of leader they are.
By using the "panic button" decisions can be reversed, but only once per round
Tactical-themed graphics were used to recreate an abstracted 1950's era war room
The B57 on display is an actual thermonuclear-type atomic bomb
"Are we safer now than ever before?"
The Nuclear Heat Map interactive presents a visual synopsis of a massive set of bomb-testing and weapons stockpiling data
The Nuclear Heat Map interactive (Attract Mode)
The Nuclear Heat Map interactive (Help Mode)
The Nuclear Heat Map interactive (Highlights Tour)
Archival video footage contributes to the story
The Nuclear Heat Map interactive allows visitors to explore the massive dataset using both time and geography
The Chronicles of War is an interactive experience about the human impact of war, coupled with a propaganda poster gallery
The Chronicles of War encourages visitors to slow down and experience surprising human stories through a set visual themes
The Chronicles of War user interface (Attract Mode)
The Chronicles of War user interface (Theme Confirmation)
The Chronicles of War user interface (Story Selection)
Visitor exploring a story through a scrapbook-like touch screen interface
Visitors can explore a large set of personal biographies
Archival images that have very personal qualities were used to bring visitors closer to the people who are profiled
Conceptual illustration to help describe the early vision for Why War's visitor experience (exhibit entrance)
Conceptual illustration to help describe the early vision for Why War's visitor experience (data visualization)
Conceptual illustration to help describe the early vision for Why War's visitor experience (interpretive content presentation)
Conceptual illustration to help describe the early vision for Why War's visitor experience (interactive game)
Conceptual illustration to help describe the early vision for Why War's visitor experience (interpretive content presentation)
Client:
Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum
Browse:
highlights
“Why War: The Causes of Conflict” is a media-rich interactive exhibit made up of a combination of engaging interactive media elements. The content itself explores the roots of military confrontations throughout our nation’s history. Dynamic, large-scale touch stations present interactive infographics; numerous stories are made up of historically-significant digital artifacts, photos, and archival films; and visitors are challenged and engaged with conflict simulation scenarios.
The “Why War” interactive exhibit includes multiple media components that work in concert as a collective installation: An animating digital signage ribbon flanks the entrance to the gallery, designed to attract visitors from across an aircraft-filled hangar—providing a preview of the digital content included within. An enormous interactive wall presents a timeline of eight featured wars that America has participated in. This central interactive component examines conflict through the lenses of inciting factors, key figures, technology, and pop culture to demonstrate the common causes of war. The Conflict Simulator is where visitors find out what kind of leaders they are—when faced with nation-to-nation conflict scenarios in a Cold War era war room. The Nuclear Heatmap interactive outlines both the Cold War-era stockpiling and testing of nuclear weapons (around the globe), and also the major de-escalation of nuclear activity in recent years. Chronicles of War presents exploratory, digital artifact-based human stories—presenting war’s impact on key figures, soldiers, women, and children.
Why War’s engaging interactives let families, community groups, and school classes choose how they want to explore this complex topic. Wars are not random events; recurring risk factors combine to spark conflict. By exploring the nature of war and the introduction of nuclear weaponry, we ask the question: Are we safer now than ever before?
Project Accolades:
Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine “Why Wars Happen,” 2018
Communication Arts “Exhibit,” 2017
GeekWire “Why war? Exhibit at Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection takes on big question,” 2017
AV Magazine “Inspirational AV: Transparent Collaboration,” 2017
The Stranger “Why War?” 2017
Belle & Wissell Team Credits
Principal: Gabe Kean
Studio Producer: Sarah Trueblood
Technology Lead: Edward Tang
Creative Director: Thomas Ryun
Senior Designer: Edrea Lita
Senior Designer: Eric Harvey
Designer: Isabella Vasquez
Content Development Manager: Natalie Karbelnig
Content Developer: Andy Kessler
Content Developer: Joe Wahman
Programmer: Nathan Selikoff
Programmer: Darin Reid
Programmer: Charles Rand Barnett
Quality Assurance Engineer: Serge Bokach
Additional Project Credits
Executive Director, FHCAM: Adrian Hunt
Curator, FHCAM: Cory Graff
Education Coordinator, FHCAM: Justin Spielmann
Exhibit Project Manager: Jill Randerson
Exhibit Consultant, Vulcan, Inc.: Diane Andolsek
Exhibit Fabricator: Pacific Studio
A/V Hardware: Streamline Solutions
Poster Artifact Framing: Mainframe
Belle & Wissell Team Credits
Principal: Gabe Kean
Studio Producer: Sarah Trueblood
Technology Lead: Edward Tang
Creative Director: Thomas Ryun
Senior Designer: Edrea Lita
Senior Designer: Eric Harvey
Designer: Isabella Vasquez
Content Development Manager: Natalie Karbelnig
Content Developer: Andy Kessler
Content Developer: Joe Wahman
Programmer: Nathan Selikoff
Programmer: Darin Reid
Programmer: Charles Rand Barnett
Quality Assurance Engineer: Serge Bokach
Additional Project Credits
Executive Director, FHCAM: Adrian Hunt
Curator, FHCAM: Cory Graff
Education Coordinator, FHCAM: Justin Spielmann
Exhibit Project Manager: Jill Randerson
Exhibit Consultant, Vulcan, Inc.: Diane Andolsek
Exhibit Fabricator: Pacific Studio
A/V Hardware: Streamline Solutions
Poster Artifact Framing: Mainframe
“Why War: The Causes of Conflict” is a media-rich interactive exhibit made up of a combination of engaging interactive media elements. The content itself explores the roots of military confrontations throughout our nation’s history. Dynamic, large-scale touch stations present interactive infographics; numerous stories are made up of historically-significant digital artifacts, photos, and archival films; and visitors are challenged and engaged with conflict simulation scenarios.
The “Why War” interactive exhibit includes multiple media components that work in concert as a collective installation: An animating digital signage ribbon flanks the entrance to the gallery, designed to attract visitors from across an aircraft-filled hangar—providing a preview of the digital content included within. An enormous interactive wall presents a timeline of eight featured wars that America has participated in. This central interactive component examines conflict through the lenses of inciting factors, key figures, technology, and pop culture to demonstrate the common causes of war. The Conflict Simulator is where visitors find out what kind of leaders they are—when faced with nation-to-nation conflict scenarios in a Cold War era war room. The Nuclear Heatmap interactive outlines both the Cold War-era stockpiling and testing of nuclear weapons (around the globe), and also the major de-escalation of nuclear activity in recent years. Chronicles of War presents exploratory, digital artifact-based human stories—presenting war’s impact on key figures, soldiers, women, and children.
Why War’s engaging interactives let families, community groups, and school classes choose how they want to explore this complex topic. Wars are not random events; recurring risk factors combine to spark conflict. By exploring the nature of war and the introduction of nuclear weaponry, we ask the question: Are we safer now than ever before?
Project Accolades:
Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine “Why Wars Happen,” 2018
Communication Arts “Exhibit,” 2017
GeekWire “Why war? Exhibit at Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection takes on big question,” 2017
AV Magazine “Inspirational AV: Transparent Collaboration,” 2017
The Stranger “Why War?” 2017