The Power of Play

Children’s Museum at JBLM

Environmental Design | Graphic Design | Public Art
The Power of Play

Children’s Museum at JBLM

Environmental Design | Graphic Design | Public Art

overview

Our friends at Greentrike converted an old skating rink into the first ever children’s museum on a U.S. military base. For the exterior, we created window and wall graphics, banners, and a sculpture to welcome visitors to their new play space. For the interior, we created placemaking graphics, interactive donor walls, and a large, whimsical creature to inspire the imagination of play-loving visitors.

strategy

All design decisions were made through the lens of play. Everything we created was designed with the child experience in mind. We also made sure to play well with others. We collaborated with our talented friend Chris Spadafore to make the dragonfly sculpture that welcomes visitors at the entrance. We also teamed up with Tacoma legend Steve Laberge to create the illuminated creature that floats above one of the playscapes.

Children's Museum at JBLM

graphics, banners, and dragonflies, oh my!

donor recognition walls

Harnessing the power of play, we created two unique, interactive donor recognition walls. For the first wall, we used conductive paint to create touch-responsive illustrations that play a soothing synth sound upon contact. The paint links with Arduino circuit boards that we programmed to play the custom sounds we developed for various landmarks and creatures on the map. The second wall incorporates magnetic wooden shapes and a metal paneling backdrop, allowing guests to combine and create their own compositions.

the creature

Greentrike’s idea of ish was the primary inspiration for this installation. The goal is to provoke guests to interpret it through the lens of their own imagination. When you look at it, what do you see?

summary

Every child has a right to play. We were thrilled to partner with Greentrike to bring the museum right into the heart of a military base — an uncommon place for a children’s museum, but an important one. We hope this space will inspire other military installations to play along and create their own museums to help enrich the lives of those who serve.

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