Opus is super stoked to be working with the deCordova Museum on their new map of the sculpture park. Thousands of visitors will use this map to guide them around the 30-acre grounds to experience contemporary art in a most beautiful, natural setting.
Infographics for wayfinding and education
Like any infographic design project, we start by understanding the functional requirements of the design. In this instance, the map provides both wayfinding and education; how to get around the park, as well as historic information about what they are seeing. Our goal for the map design will be to combine these requirements in the most clear and elegant way possible.
Strategically effective design
Our team visited the deCordova to get a feel for the environment and a sense for what users might need in the design. We saw how each piece is labeled with not only date and media info but also a code for your phone to hear comments from the artist which really adds to the experience. Talking with museum staff, we learned that visitors often need advice about where to start their tour, and that there’s a southern section of the park that often gets missed. These are details, among another 98, that we’ll need to consider in the design of the graphics and layout.
The day we were there, a 20 x 40 foot sculpture was being taken down requiring a crane and about 12 guys. Children from the preschool sat on the lawn fascinated to watch their progress as were we. Soon, an even larger sculpture, (the museum’s largest) will be installed across the lawn so we can’t wait to go back and see that soon.
Maps are so cool and I’ve collected many over the years. They help us see where we are going and remind us of where we have been. We hope to make this ultimate infographic a worthy keepsake for many visitors to come.
Here are some pics from our visit.
A view from inside Alice’s Garden and Jim Dine’s Two Big Black Hearts. (above)
Julia checks out a cool ice-like sculpture by Ursula von Rydingsvard . My fave for the day, Humming by Jaume Plensa. Emily and Ellery in the Crazy Spheroid by Dan Graham….Buelleresque.
Talking with Museum staff.
Venusvine. Fits in perfectly like a natural spirit watching over the garden.
