California Dinosaur Garden

Exhibit
Project Overview
The California Dinosaur Garden is an immersive experience of California's Cretaceous period at Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo. Life-size dinosaurs accompany prehistoric plants, realistic animal sculptures, and interactive exhibits to create a uniquely engaging snapshot of life during this period.
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I led visual and spatial design for the new exhibit that combined education, environmental storytelling, and physical interactivity.
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My Goals
Developing the scope of work to complete the exhibit within the alotted time to meet the grand opening. Create an engaging exhibit experience that communicated complex ecological content to children and families. Collaborate with educators and other creatives to create messaging and blend illustration with accessible content across physical and digital touchpoints.
California Dinosaur Garden
Exhibit Branding
Wayfinding & Panel Design
Interactive Display UI
Logitistics
Dec 2022 - Sep 2023
This beautiful outdoor space is fully accessible, multi-lingual, includes wheelchair access to a fossil dig, braille labels, and tactile, sensory-rich elements for children of all abilities. Guests experience engaging nature play and hands-on exploration of the natural world. Stepping into the California Dinosaur Garden truly feels like stepping into the Cretaceous period, and is sure to bring history to life for kids and adults alike.
This interactive information graphic showcases the relative sizes of various plants and animals during this prehistoric period. Panel buttons audibly inform of pronunciation of animals.
Animal description panels provide a tactile experience that also aligns with the visual experience of seeing life size sculptures throughout the exhibit.
The tactile map includes braille and texture to allow for ease of use and understanding for a wider audience.
Both exhibit and marketing material utilize the same branding elements of imagery, color, typography, and other design elements in order to create a cohesive look throughout.
Outcome
The exhibit saw record attendance during its opening and featured new interactive panels developed with a range of accessibility components, setting a new standard for educational storytelling.
What I learned
This project reinforced how effective communication across age groups requires layered, multisensory design. I also gained insight into designing for physical space, where typography, placement, and interaction all influence comprehension and delight.
Next Project
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