Our mission : A graphics and ergonomics study for the “Fossilization” terminal, permanent exhibition “Gallery of the dinosaurs”

A major renovation project of the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium, in Brussels, should lead to the opening in the near future of the largest galleries of dinosaurs in the world. In this framework, we carried out a study of a multimedia installation on the theme of fossilization, based on the planned location for setting up the system within the museographic itinerary.We wanted to connect the geological explanation of fossilization to its pale-ontological and scientific exploitation, which is an integral part of the purpose of the Royal Institute. Consequently, we pursued the idea of having a co-habitation, a confrontation of two visions, two eras, of two extremities of the chain: from the life and death of the dinosaur to the study of fossils in a lab/workshop.

The idea underlying the concept is to use the application as a tool to be used by several persons at a time, especially as a family or school group. If we suggested the integration of two screens, it was in fact to create a duality between the two, to link them thereby bringing visitors together who live essentially in groups, not to create two independent supports that would have had, to be sure, a spectacular effect, but nonetheless sterile in terms of communication.

Application of the concept

Let’s take the example of a father and his young son. The father launches the program from the screen placed at his height, and proceeds through the different scenarios. The young child is not left out: the second screen, at his height, retransmits a sequence illustrating the scenario selected by the father in a very simplified way close to his reality from a graphics point of view.

A dialog can then take place. A function “replay the sequence” has been provided in order to enable the father and his son to see the sequence again together on the second screen. The father leans toward the child, makes comments on the images, and benefits from a second point of view after having seen his own screen.

In this way, the system offers two levels of interpretation, physical as well as intellectual, and the consultation is carried out in groups in an active way.

The father becomes an active player through the transmission of information (it is his action that triggers one sequence rather than another), while creating a true relationship with the other users (his son in this case). There is therefore really a dual phenomenon of appropriation and sharing.

For the child as well, there is a double level of interpretation, since he first interprets the sequence playing on the screen at his height, then, he has a second level of interpretation through his father, who has acquired other bits of knowledge on his own screen (feedback and additional information).

Prototype

The production of a prototype enabled us to have this solution tested on site by the Royal Institute team. That allowed us to verify the soundness of the ergonomic choices made for consultation and the right perception of the selected graphic environment.