-
Earth Lab: Degrees of Change
Impacts & Responses
Project Group
Client
Date
July 2011Location
Washington, D.C.Other Media
Tags
Playlists
In this part of the Earth Lab gallery, a vibrant display of photography harmonizes with three touchscreen interactives to tell the human story unfolding in response to a warming planet.
The storyline of this section investigates our most vulnerable communities, how scientists know what they know about the future of the climate, and our options for confronting a warming planet.
The first area concentrates on the impacts people are facing in the present day and what we can expect over the next century. Changes are happening to our ecosystems, food, weather, and health—the first kiosk captures a matrix of “impact events” related to these areas and gives visitors an opportunity to see where these impacts might happen and how severe they might be. The next section documents the stories of individuals and communities on the front lines of global warming. Striking photojournalism, documentary videos, and extended slideshows allows visitors to hear first-person accounts of flooding, drought, erosion, forest fires, and melting ice.
To validate the predictions of future impacts, an interactive animation explores the mathematical tools, commonly referred to as “climate models,” scientists use to predict the climate. Climate models are famously difficult to illustrate but an integral part of climate scientist’s research—this interactive simplifies the concept and makes it accessible. The final two parts of the exhibit discuss strategies for change and human response. Bold photography captures how humans are “adapting” to climate change, while others are attempting to “mitigate” the future. The message revealed is that only a combination of the two will forge a safe path for future generations.
Press & Awards
Justified Competition 2012, AIGA, Winner, October 2012I appreciated the transmedia aspect of this project, which incorporates all available communication methods—video and information systems, screen-based and dimensional—into one experience. In a marketplace that is increasingly in flux and requires more than “good design,” this solution illustrates the agility that future design projects will require. Both the work and the case study demonstrate that the designers are critical thinkers—perceptive, imaginative and skillful.
“Digging Into Climate Change,” Dimensions Magazine, Sharon Barry, January 2012Digital labels and interactives feature layers of information that enable visitors to choose how deeply they want to dig.
Credits
- Studio Director
- Jennifer Guibord
- Technology Director
- Thomas Wester
- Lead Designer
- Chris Dewan
- Physical Designer
- Shoam Thomas
- Information Designer
- Michael Godfrey
- Interaction Designer
- Lisa Kennedy, Sara Siri
- Integration Engineer
- Matt Arnold
- Developers
- Oliver McGinnis, Jean Pierre Guevrèmont, Aubrey Francois, Zach Doe
- Systems Developer
- Donald Richardson
- Technology Coordinator
- Sam Jeibmann
- Producer
- Kate Wolf
- Content Producers
- Michael Neault, Elizabeth Bourke
- Writer
- Lisa Berndt
- Quality Assurance
- Kirsten Southwell, Traci Sym, Elizabeth Bourke
- Production Artist
- Sara Siri
- Design Production
- Hub Collective
- Fabrication
- Lexington
- A/V Systems Integration
- Griffin Networks
Part of SapientRazorfish /© 2021 Second Story, Inc.Project Group
- Project Overview
- Impacts & Responses
- Mitigation Simulator
- Observations
-