NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE US ARMY - KIDS
THE STORY: The National Museum of the US Army (NMUSA) hired us to create an Experiential Learning Center for their long-awaited museum. The teams at The Scenic Route and the Army Game Studio committed to designing and fabricating an experience that expands a child’s understanding of the Army. The space needed to support a throughput of 50 3-12 grade students per group, with exciting experiences that make learning and discovery fun. Younger visitors also required a place to explore at their own pace. The solution was to create an Assembly Area with several experiences to keep a group engaged while another group explored the Training Center, and a third worked together to solve a humanitarian crisis in the Learning Lab. The Fort Discovery area would also be buzzing with the activity of several younger kids and their caregivers.
MY ROLE: As the Creative Director for the ELC, I led the internal and external creative teams, including co-directing the software development from the Army Game Studio. This allowed me to oversee the visitor experiences, write and art direct exhibit areas, design the Experiential Learning Center brand look, direct and produce videos and touchscreen interactives, and design and write the pre-opening website.
In the Assembly Area, groups first encounter the Growing Up Army exhibit. The museum staff sent photo and video requests and a series of questions to dozens of Army families. We created a photomontage for the exhibit area, a 30-minute documentary, and a Family Feud-type team-based interactive game from their responses.
The Assembly Area is also home to the Army Innovations interactive, which reveals the Army’s role in creating everyday items like cell phones and space travel. On the same wall, the Army Behind the Army video suite shows how the organization supports Soldiers through logistics, mail, meals, and other efforts.
We created an immersive set of experiences for the Training Center based on the Army’s use of Geography, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (G-STEM). In themed environments, squads of visitors work through a series of missions that train them for the game they’ll play when they move to the Learning Lab.
The Learning Lab is home to the Operation Safe Passage experience. Here, squads work together to solve G-STEM-based problems to rescue the inhabitants of an island that has been rocked by an earthquake.
Fort Discover offers children opportunities to use Army Innovations to succeed at a series of games hosted by Army mascot mules. They can also paint Army vehicles, try on virtual Army uniforms, launch a rocket, build a base, and work in the mess hall or mail room. A climbing set gives them a place to use some pent-up energy. The towers are equipped with radios that communicate between them and the pint-sized Jeep at floor level.
AGENCY: The Scenic Route
Experiential Learning Center Promotional Video
Assembly Area Experiences
Training Center Experiences
Learning Lab ”Operation Safe Passage“ Game
Fort Discover Experiences
ATTRACT AND SELECT SCREEN
Players choose from four educational modules based on historic Army innovations. Famous Army mascots Blackjack and Buckshot encourage players through voice over and text. Background music and simple animations keep the experience fun.
CANAL CRAZINESS INTRODUCTION
Each game starts with a stated objective delivered by one of the Army mascots. The Settings button allows the player to adjust the audio level and/or pause the game. The basis for this module is the Army‘s completion of the Panama Canal .
CANAL CRAZINESS INSTRUCTION SCREEN
Pressing the “?” button at any time during the game brings up a static screen with easy guidance on how to harness the functions of the experience. The player will complete three sequences to bring the boat through the canal‘s locks.
CANAL CRAZINESS 1
Blackjack‘s boat moves forward automatically until it‘s stopped by the lock‘s gate. Two other Army mules stand ready to open and close the lock‘s gates at the player‘s command.
CANAL CRAZINESS 2
The player pushes the CLOSE button and sees the mules in the tower move the lever to start the gears closing the rear gate. Then the player holds the FILL button opening the valve to let water in until the lock is filled to the correct level.
CANAL CRAZINESS 3
When the lock is full, the player pushes the OPEN button, the tower mules move the lever, the gears move, the front gate opens, and Blackjack moves into the next lock or into Gatun Lake on his way to the locks leading to the Pacific. Success!
HIGHWAY HAY HUNT INSTRUCTION SCREEN
This game is based on the Army‘s successful engineering of the Interstate Highway System. The gameplay helps players understand how the roads they see from the family car help get them where they want to go.
HIGHWAY HAY HUNT INTRODUCTION
The game‘s stated goal is to help Blackjack move across the country by dragging and dropping roads and bridges along the major highway system to get to the hay. The same hay that was delivered after Blackjack crossed the Panama Canal.
HIGHWAY HAY HUNT 1
The game offers directional hints for the player to consider at each intersection before placing a bridge of section of road. The topographically accurate layout shows the real obstacles any route presents.
HIGHWAY HAY HUNT 2
As the player builds the route from the National Army Museum in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, an interstate sign pops on as each section is completed, adding to the experience's educational value.
HOT-AIR HIDE-N-SEEK INSTRUCTION SCREEN
The Army‘s early use of hot air balloons for surveillance is the basis for this game module. The player will tap and hold the arrow button just long enough to help Blackjack sail over obstacles or lower the balloon as needed.
HOT-AIR HIDE-N-SEEK 1
Five Army mascots are hiding in various places on the Army base. The balloon continually floats forward allowing the player to concentrate on its elevation. The tally bar shows the player‘s progress in finding the hiding mascots.
HOT-AIR HIDE-N-SEEK 2
Obstacles add some challenge to safely maneuvering the balloon‘s “finding beam” directly over the target. Too high and the mascot won‘t be “found.” Too low, and the balloon will stuck on an obstacle.
HOT-AIR HIDE-N-SEEK 3
Some added silliness keeps the player engaged as they find they now have to float even higher to get over an obstacle. As the balloon gains altitude, it also gains speed, adding more challenge along with more excitement.
MOBILE PHONE MULES INSTRUCTION SCREEN
This game module is based on the Army‘s early adoption of cell phones in the field. The tutorial shows the player how to aim the signal from one dish to a nearby dish to create a link.
MOBILE PHONE MULES INTRODUCTION
The stated goal of the game is to create a link between all of the dishes to get a message to Blackjack about the Hot-Air Hide-N-Seek game they will all be playing.
MOBILE PHONE MULES 1
The player moves each dish to aim the message link along the chain. The mascot-piloted helicopter and truck are also movable. These vehicles represent how the Army actually used trucks and helicopters to aid in linked communication.
MOBILE PHONE MULES 2
Levels get increasingly complex and the game progresses to keep the player engaged. As the signal finally bounces to Blackjack we hear Buckshot ask, “Do you read me?” and Blackjack‘s triumphant, “I read you loud and clear!”
