The "Living Loft" at the museum functions as an educational space for children, spotlighting South Carolina's aquatic animals. The client wanted an upgrade for this exhibit space and an interpretive design that aligned with their guided museum tour.
Old Santee Canal Park Museum Exhibit
InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, AutoCad
Writer, Project Manager, Millwork Specialists,
Print vendor, Old Santee Canal Park (client)
The first step of this project involved understanding the problems the client was facing with the current exhibit space, so a better design could be implemented.
The museum and the Living Loft space didn’t have an established brand, so I drew inspiration from other existing exhibits within the museum and the surrounding natural environment.
Existing Exhibit Problems
Animals are at risk of being handled by guests or stolen.
Some tanks are difficult for staff to access for feeding and cleaning.
There’s minimal storage for supplies (food and cleaning).
An interpretive design is a missing component.
The space needs to be more engaging for children.
Some of the tanks are too high for children to see.
Custom millwork was planned for this space, which would house the animals, meet storage and access requirements, and serve as a place for interpretive design.
Since children are the primary audience of the exhibit, the animal tanks and interpretive panels were positioned at child height. By doing so, children are more engaged with the animals and the interpretive content.
Sliding doors for storage
Sliding doors for front access
Flip-up door for top access (secured)
Reader rail with graphic panels (child height)
Cad drawing and millwork design by Squarepoint Design.
Living Loft before the installation
Living Loft after the installation
I collaborated with our team writer to produce seven interpretive panels for the Living Loft exhibit, and I learned a little more about aquatic animals in the process, too!
The finished design showcased the animals better, facilitated secure staff access to tanks, offered plentiful storage, and ensured that the interpretive panels aligned with the Museum’s guided tour.
Completed Installation Photos
After the exhibit was installed, I dropped by the museum to observe how visitors were interacting with the exhibit. I saw several adults sitting on the exhibit—using it as seating (see photo below). Initially, I was surprised by this behavior, but you never know what kind of human behavior you’ll see at museums, so it’s always good to build for wear and tear, and luckily, we did. Perhaps having additional seating in the loft for adults could have alleviated this problem.
Existing Living Loft Exhibit Area
Old Santee Canal Park Museum Exhibit
Living Loft before the installation
Living Loft after the installation
The finished design showcased the animals better, facilitated secure staff access to tanks, offered plentiful storage, and ensured that the interpretive panels aligned with the Museum’s guided tour.
I collaborated with our team writer to produce seven interpretive panels for the Living Loft exhibit, and I learned a little more about aquatic animals in the process, too!
InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, AutoCad
Writer, Project Manager, Millwork Specialists,
Print vendor, Old Santee Canal Park (client)
The first step of this project involved understanding the problems the client was facing with the current exhibit space, so a better design could be implemented.
Animals are at risk of being handled by guests or stolen.
Some tanks are difficult for staff to access for feeding and cleaning.
There’s minimal storage for supplies (food and cleaning).
An interpretive design is a missing component.
The space needs to be more engaging for children.
Some of the tanks are too high for children to see.
Custom millwork was planned for this space, which would house the animals, meet storage and access requirements, and serve as a place for interpretive design.
Since children are the primary audience of the exhibit, the animal tanks and interpretive panels were positioned at child height. By doing so, children are more engaged with the animals and the interpretive content.
Cad drawing and millwork design by Squarepoint Design.
Sliding doors for storage
Sliding doors for front access
Flip-up door for top access (secured)
Reader rail with graphic panels (child height)
The museum and the Living Loft space didn’t have an established brand, so I drew inspiration from other existing exhibits within the museum and the surrounding natural environment.
