Intention
My initial intention was to create an accelerated ecosystem game through an app but I also wanted the presence of a physical product.
The Eureka moment came when I thought about the slow reveal of Advent Calendars. Every day a surprise and although predictable, its a delightful experience. Calendars are useful and ubiquitous in homes, office and classrooms so why not tie the digital with the physical through that medium?
Every day reveals a new plant or animal. Through a handheld device and augmented reality, the calendar reveals information, fun facts and could be interacted with. I still wanted the accelerated ecosystem game so after the slow reveal, animals and plants could be collected to add to the personal Diversity Dome (the sandbox ecosystem). You could watch them interact.
The Challenge: Finding balance in your ecosystem. Anything could be a disrupter: Natural Phenomenon, human destruction, a virus, or too many predators.
Research
The Living Wall Calendar was a 6 week project aimed at creating a museum store product that is both engaging and educational. Although I was not able to conduct interviews, I was able to visit the museum and interactions between visitors and the exhibits.
Framing Questions:
- How do can one sustain engagement after the museum visit? Can the After-Experience be designed?
- What is the most ideal system for educational engagement for a museum product?
- What is a practical and useful stand alone product that is both beneficial for the user as well as the museum?
Stakeholders
Patrons + Educators
- Extend their museum experience after the visit
- Stay engaged by learning something everyday
- Stay connected with the museum through curated content
- Heightened experience through Game play
Museum
- Provide an exclusive product
- Stay in contact with their visitors
- Learn about their visitor's behaviors
- Push content: New educational guides, tours, video streams, upcoming exhibits
- Possibilities of On Campus Game play
The Business Behind it : Priced at $35.00 every 3 months
How much are these calendars? Calendars sell individually with calendar dates at three months at a time (Jan - March , April- June, etc) on a subscription basis. The cost of each calendar is $35.00. The annual set of 4 calendars is priced at $140/year.
Wall calendars have a price point between $15 - $65 with the median cost of calendars priced at $35.00. At $140.00 a year, the Livingwall Calendar is on a more luxury based price point, but provides much more value than a traditional calendar. Features include a digital component with daily delight, educational content, current and updated news about the museum, as well as the Biology game. Additionally, with a calendar change of every 3 months, the content updates with new exhibit theme to keep users engaged.
Aligned with Academy's educational initiatives, Educational Institutions & Community centers will receive a discounted cost.
