Project
Darwinaut
Project Darwinaut is an immersive educational experience that takes guest explorers on a journey through various periods of human evolution. Using the lens of silly science to teach and entertain, explorers discover how they learn best.
Marketing
Materials
The Original
Darwinaut
Justin Thymes is the crewmate that spearheaded the creation of Project Darwinaut. He is the Darwinaut that remains with guests for the entirety of the experience. Justin disseminates to guests what they should expect in their journey through time before the experience begins. He acts as a generalist of information and docent to keep guests informed and keep them moving through the space on a schedule. Justin is the “Temporal pilot” or in other words the one who drives the time machine.
Field
Darwinauts
All these crewmates have the same role but are specialized in and knowledgeable of discreet periods of evolution. One is stationed at each level of the experience to answer guest questions, initiate hands-on learning experiences, and encourage exploration.
THE CREW
Interactivity:
Guests each receive a passbook and an RFID equipped badge on a lanyard. With these items, our time travelers can catalog their adventure according to their style of exploration. The passbook has entry spaces for learners who enjoy making field notes as well as frames for photos taken along the way. The badges can be used to access information on tablet interpretives. They also set off hidden cameras throughout the experience to capture candid moments of discovery.
Documentation
The Take Away
All participants leave with a report of their specific learning style. They discover information about themselves, not only their prehistoric origin.
The Physical Context:
As an interactive educational attraction, Project Darwinaut would fit well in the realm of natural history museums although unlike any other we have seen before. The added spin of sci-fi fantasy makes grounding the attraction alongside practical historical exhibits somewhat of a challenge. With this in mind, Project Darwinaut would act as an exciting satellite property to an existing natural history museum, separated from those composed from reality alone.
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The Field Museum
in Chicago
The Chicago Loop is home to several world renown edutainment facilities. It is an existing tourism epicenter recognized for rich cultural displays in art and science.
The Century
Building
An empty multistory building less than 2 miles away from The Field Museum. A perfect building for the execution of adaptive reuse, a tool in sustainability.
A Prime Location
for Project
Darwinaut
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Click to see these project images along with additional visual material in a slideshow format. This document includes costumes and floor plans.
Click to read the story treatment for Project Darwinaut written by Katharine Ruppert. Katharine assisted greatly with the project especially during the development of interactive elements within the experience.
Project Darwinaut was created in an Immersive Studio at UCF (Spring 2023) using criticism of industry professionals. I was ultimately awarded in class recognition for having the most complete project after juror deliberation and a class vote. I am now the proud owner of a "Petey".
Rhino
Adobe PhotoShop
Adobe Illustrator
MS PowerPoint