Mind in Boat

Exhibit Design + Sound Design + User Research

Timeline: 3 Months | Team: Cameron Fahsholtz, Mckayla Buckley, Leah Anoush McCloskey

Introduction

In the research group, The Boys in the Boat: Reimagining the ASUW Shell House, my team developed an interactive exhibit to honor the 100-year-old University of Washington (UW) Shell House history. Our exhibit took the form of an audiovisual experience celebrating the UW coxswain legacy, technique, and tradition.

A Coxswain Exhibit

As the coxswain guides the rowing shell, so too will they guide visitors through the UW rowing legacy. Our team was inspired by the UW rowing program's history of Olympic coxswains. Coxswains are the coach of the boat. Their role necessitates significant mental endurance and the commanding of immense respect from their crew. Because of the trust and power that the coxswain commands through their megaphone to their boat, we created an audiovisual experience mimicking this vintage cone shaped megaphone.

How can we honor the history of the 100-year-old shell house through an interactive exhibit?

I conducted four semi-structured interviews with current UW senior coxswains Nina Castagna and Adam Gold. They contributed crucial insight into the life and role of a UW coxswain and the impact of the UW coxswain legacy and history. They also gave me permission to use the audio from their interviews and races in the exhibit.

Directions, Characters and Storylines

Artifact Exploration

Inspired by UW coxswains' legacy, our exhibit guides visitors through history from a coxswain’s perspective.

Interviews

I interviewed UW coxswains Nina Castagna and Adam Gold, gaining crucial insight into their roles and the UW coxswain legacy. They approved using audio from their interviews and races in the exhibit.  

Nina Castagna

Adam Gold

Instillation Overview

Aluminum cones, reminiscent of megaphones, hang from the rafters, contrasting the dark wood and complementing the boats. Projected light circles on the floor invite viewers to engage with the exhibit, which begins with a projected introduction.

Cones are grouped into three themes exploring the coxswain's role, life, and impact on UW Rowing History.  

Small, medium, and large cones each provide a different type of experience.

A Visitor stands beneath a small cone. 

Two visitors experience a medium cone.

A group of visitors experience a large cone together. 

Reflection

I am proud of the exhibit that my team created for the ASUW Shell House. If I had additional time to iterate on this project, I would like to make a physical cone prototype. This cone would allow for more testing to help improve the audio visual experience for the audience.