NORTHAMPTON MUSEUM - Heritage Interactive

NORTHAMPTON MUSEUM & ART GALLERY

Northampton’s world-famous collection of shoes now has its own gallery. Our digital interpretation encompasses a series of client-updateable digital collection labels as well as newly filmed and archive-led AVs.

COLLECTION DATABASES

Our series of collection databases work across all seven gallery areas and are fully updateable. The client wanted the main interface to be a virtual representation of the physical display cases positioned nearby. User testing with a range of audience groups helped refine our proposals.

Our databases use an intuitive and clear content hierarchy with different layers to appeal to different interests. Given the size of some of the cases, intricate details on the objects weren’t always easy to see, so we featured images of the collection from multiple angles.

MEET THE DESIGNERS

Our projected AV exhibits include the visually impactful, ‘Meet the Designers’.

This large-scale AV features newly commissioned interviews with three contrasting shoe designers. Filmed at studio locations around the UK, it gives an insight into their working methods and creative inspiration.

Originally this was conceived as a rigid triptych display – designed to line up with the display cases below. Working closely with the shoe designers, client and exhibition designers we explored a more flexible approach to make best use of the potential for full width shots and provide more visual variety in the final edit.

AN ABUNDANCE OF FRESH IDEAS.

“We worked closely with Heritage Interactive to produce the media content in our new shoe gallery. They were a great team to work with combining an enthusiastic and creative approach with an abundance of fresh ideas that helped to produce great finished products. Visitors love the films and the levels of information available through the digital labels is proving to be very popular. I would highly recommend Heritage Interactive to other museums and heritage attractions”.

Rebecca Shawcross
Senior Shoe Curator, Northampton Museum & Art Gallery

DESIGN YOUR OWN SHOE

Visitors can also tap into their creativity with our 3D ‘Design Your Own Shoe’ game. Choosing from 10 iconic shapes, they can manipulate heel height, toe, colour, pattern and add accessories before sharing their finished designs on social media.

THE ART OF SHOEMAKING

‘The Art of Shoemaking’ incorporates new filming with local factories, alongside material from the Museum’s image collection, to explore contrasting production methods from handmade to factory processes.

Alongside the filmed interviews with modern manufacturers, we also incorporated a number of archive oral history recordings into the storyline.

IDENTITIES

Our ‘Identities’ AV was designed as a high-impact projection to draw people into the gallery area. We sourced archive imagery and soundalike music to capture the identity of each subculture and combined these with bold graphics which help create more visual interest and frame lower resolution assets.

We also incorporated content from a community project led by a local PhD student.

Our iterative development process allowed us to work closely with the client team and exhibition designers throughout the project, resulting in an engaging range of exhibits that complement and enhance the overall museum display.

WHAT’S ON SCREENS

When creating our What’s On information screen we liaised closely with the marketing, operational and exhibition teams to determine functionality, ensuring the system met the specific requirements of all departments.

Our easy-to-use template system is fully client updateable and can be programmed up to three months in advance.

THE GREAT HALL

For the Great Hall, we designed and installed a 270-degree projection space using our own show control system. This enables the client to make the most of the creative potential of this exciting environment and support paid hires of the space.

With our user-friendly show control system, the client can switch from visitor to presenter mode. Whilst in presenter mode, the system can accept multiple plug-ins from exterior devices (such as laptops) and allow the user to switch seamlessly from blended mode (where the three projectors work as one) or split them into three separate displays for greater flexibility.

Exhibition design: Creative Good | Fit-out: Realm Projects

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