Interactive Grasshopper Exhibit
For my college senior capstone project, I made an interactive experience for an exhibit at the University of Colorado Natural History Museum. The exhibit is about research done at the university dealing with climate change's effects on grasshoppers in Colorado.
The interactive experience allows the users to experiment in a freeform way while also encouraging them to think scientifically about what they are observing. This way, they act as scientists themselves to learn about the grasshoppers and feel like they are part of the story.
Role
Designer, Developer, & Researcher
Date
2018
Client
University of Colorado Natural History Museum
Background
Context
Starting in 1958, Dr. Gordon Alexander at the University of Colorado began surveying grasshopper species in the area around Boulder, CO all across the elevation gradient. He and his team collected over 24,000 specimens. The collection remained untouched for nearly 50 years until César Nufio rediscovered the impressive collection.
Nufio decided to resurvey the sites Alexander collected from to see how climate change affected the grasshoppers. The survey sites were near weather stations, meaning climate data was readily available. The new study found the insects were being affected in a variety of ways, including their phenology, performance, and distribution.
Problem
The University of Colorado Natural History Museum wanted to showcase the this important research in a small exhibit with their BioLounge. The BioLounge is a study space for university students that also includes small biology themed exhibits. Given the casual nature of the space, they needed an exhibit that was engaging, digestible, and educational.
Goals
Create an interactive and engaging exhibit for college students.
Ensure the interactive is accessible both intellectually and physically.
Support the telling of this fascinating story.
Encourage scientific thinking.
Dr. Gordon Alexander
Courtesy Dan Van Horn
Dr. César Nufio
Courtesy of César Nufio
The Project
I created the interactive using p5.js, HTML, CSS, and Javascript. There are three parts for each of the major areas of study: Phenology, Performance, and Distribution.
The UI uses a high-contrast color scheme with large text to ensure it is easy to read for all users. The original research is complex and interwoven, so I chose to split it into three modules. This allows the user to explore what interests them most in a discrete and digestible experience.
Performance
This portion deals with the grasshopper's ability to perform or, more specifically, hop at different temperatures and elevations. The user changes the elevation and temperature to affect the distance the grasshopper jumps. The graph logs each jump so the user can see the overall trend. The goals is to figure out what climate this grasshopper is best suited for.
Each portion of the interactive contains a quiz question to add an obvious goal for the user. This is meant to encourage the user to explore and play with the variables on screen so they can figure out the answer themselves.
Phenology
This portion deals with the grasshoppers' rate of growth based on temperature. The user decides how many heat units or growing degree days (GDDs) the population of grasshoppers has available to them. “Stage” refers to the average life stage, out of 6, the population is at the given day.
To encourage scientific thinking, each section has a graph to log the results of each trial. While the user is free to play with the variables as they please, keeping track of the data allows for them to spot trends. Identifying and analyzing trends is a key part of the scientific process.
Distribution
The final portion deals with how different species are distributed. Throughout the year, the researchers would find grasshoppers from the prairie at higher elevations than they expected. These "accidentals" could be the beginning of a shift in population distribution. The user can explore how many of these grasshoppers were present at different location at different times of the year.
One unique element about this section is the photos. This helps connect back to the original story of the researchers and how climate change is affecting the local ecosystems.
Explanations
Each interactive portions also includes an introduction and conclusion page to guide the user along. The introduction introduces background information and the conclusion reiterates what they should have learned and expands on what was in the interactive.
The Process
The UI went through several revisions before it was ready. The images below show how the performance interactive changed from prototype to final product.
The addition of the quiz question was an important step. Initially, the interactive was going to be more of a sandbox where the user explores the data freely. The quiz question made it more of a goal-oriented game which was better suited for the limited time a user would spend at the exhibit.
The graph was also an important addition because it helps the user visualize the trends the researchers found. This puts the user in the researcher’s shoes so they feel more connected to the story and have to act as scientists themselves.
Check out the project on GitHub