Accessible Exhibition
University of Applied Sciences Berlin
Universal and Inclusive Design Class
Year
2023
Used Software
Blender
Used Hardware
Trotec Speedy 400
Hand tools
Task
Task was to design an addition for an exhibition that is targeted at two different disabilities.
We choose visual impairment and wheelchair users.
Concept
Our design idea was a booth, where one artwork is exhibited, accompanied with tactile representations of specific aspects and an audio guide.
The goals were:
to give people, especiality people with visual impairment, a better understanding of visual artworks
to provide wheelchair users an accessible experience of artwork
Layout
Exhibit in the center of the booth
Tactile representations below the center
Guiding rails to connect the booth to the rest of the guided gallery
Tactile indicators on the ground for visual impaired people
Speakers surrounding the position of the viewer
Exhibited Work
Artwork used for the demonstration of our prototype:
“Ice Fishing Huts” by Sandra Herber
Tactile features
Conture, Brightness and Depth were the features we wanted to give the user a better understanding of.
Conture
The conture was represented with a 3d-print where the conture was raised.
Brightness
The Brightness was represented through dots on a laser engraved surface. The denser the dots are, the darker the brightness is.
Depth
The depth was represented with a 3d-printed reconstruction of the subject of the exhibit.
Guiding Rails
To connect the booth with the rest of the exhibition, guiding rails are attaached to it. In the booth, the rails are continued as tactile lines. The lines change to dots to signal the individual station and change back to lines afterwards
Modularity
To make the booth usable for changing exhibitions, a modular system was set in place. The tactile represantations are on tablets with fixed dimensions. That ensures a quick interchangability.
Prototype
Our prototype was made out of wooden sheets, steel sheets and 3d-prints. The modular aspect was also realized and we had two different exhibits, that we could show.
We had the oppurtunity to evaluate the prototype with multiple persons. The feedback we got was:
Beginn the exhibition with the audio guide to initiate the interaction
Put the 3d modell right after the conture to continue the exploration of the depth
