Our Work - Case Study
BlueCross BlueShield BodyTrek
A traveling truck filled with educational interactive exhibits for school children needed to be updated. The old truck and program had to be brought up to date, in a world where most kids have video games, pictures on a wall were not going to suffice. Kids needed something fun, interactive and compelling.
The Concept
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama wanted to develop a mobile children’s outreach exhibit about the human body to promote preventive health education.
The Problem
Blue Cross came to Design Force (now a division of Inergi) to take on this challenge. The mobile exhibit would involve a total design and build from scratch.
The Target
Elementary school children − especially those in rural and low-income areas
The Challenge
A lengthy list of criteria required precise planning before work began. The vehicle needed to be small enough to maneuver easily, and yet house the complete exhibit, include sufficient interior structure to comply with ADA 508, provide ample spacing for all electrical and data wiring, and still have room for the numerous exhibits.
The kiosks, content, and graphics had to be colorful and age-appropriate and fully capture the imaginations of energetic elementary school children.
The Solution
Design Force professionals were involved in both the creative and fabrication tasks. They specified the interior components, installed the supporting infrastructure, completed the electrical and data wiring, designed and built the exhibits, created the interactive components, and then field-tested the system thoroughly before final deployment.
To reduce the work of the BodyTrek traveling operator, components were automated and many functions were computer driven. In addition, each station was designed to be modular and self-contained, making it easy to remove a station and replace it with a different station.
The Result
The completed exhibit has been an exceedingly popular attraction for schools and students. By coming to the school, the exhibit requires no transportation for the children and minimal chaperones. The students enjoy touring the oversized human body and learning how it works through a combination of interactive stations. A complete immersion into the exhibit keeps minds focused on learning, while busy hands have ample opportunities to touch and manipulate.
The addition of expanding sides to the exhibit truck gained the extra space needed without involving a large trailer that would hamper travel. Careful planning reduced setup time to an hour, and operation needs required only a single full-time staffer.
Design Force is currently converting this hands-on concept into a fixed-site version for children’s museums.
Disciplines Involved
Capabilities Involved
- Museum Exhibit Design
- Branding
- Interactive Development
- Print Design