Orbis Romanum

The process

Choice of subject area and theme

Research "historical facts"

Concept

Prototyping

Visual Design / Illustration / Map Design

Film Making

Choice of subject area and theme

Among other highly fascinating topics, we decided on a relatively unnoticed subject, the expansion and trade progress of the Roman Empire. Not least because of the support and close cooperation of the Roman open air museum Saalburg in the Taunus.

Alternatively, the topics of ancient games, inventiveness, Roman cuisine and everyday life were up for discussion in this cooperation.

Impressions of the Saalburg

Research "historical facts"

In close cooperation with four experts from the Saalburg, we did extensive research on the origin, as well as transport and supplementary facts. Historical correctness was the first priority here.

Concept

Information and storytelling

The user is to be attracted by a pulsating installation in the look of a shop counter in the room, which calls for interaction. Using the analogy of the shopkeeper informing about his goods, the museum visitor is guided through a process that in the first step makes the incredible size of the Roman Empire more tangible, whereby in the second step the trade networks gain in importance.

In the third step, the museum visitor is given the freedom to decide for which goods he wants to be shown which information.

Interaction

Interaction takes place via illuminated goods on the counter, which can be lifted up and placed on the middle platform to select the desired information.

Orbis romanums information architecture

Prototyping

Concept Prototyping

To quickly get a feel for the concept, the first iteration of the concept involved creating simple paper prototypes and animating them on the computer.

In the further ones we found a good intersection of free navigation and a pleasant depth of information for the museum context.

Hardware and wood Prototyping

In parallel, we carpentered the counter and fitted it with individual LED lighting for each item, which serves as a call to action and communication.

Visual Design / Illustration / Map Design

Visual design

Based on typography, colour system and well thought-out illustration style, a congruent appearance was created.

Illustration style

The aim of the illustrations was to bring the information to mind as an image. Through a friendly and humorous style, they were to offer added value not only to adults but also to children.

They adhered to some pre-determined basic rules that applied to the implementation of the adjectives defined in the previous step:

Film Making

The aim of the project film was to allow the viewer to experience Orbis Romanum through the eyes of a museum visitor and to bridge the gap between haptic interaction and the presentation of information and storytelling on the screen.

Whats so special about ...

... our project?

Within the framework of the project, an interactive prototype was created, consisting of a self-built wooden table with a built-in interactive Arduino setup for the interface feedback.
The historical background and the basic conditions for the concept were developed in cooperation with four museum curators from the Roman fort Saalburg.
Special emphasis was placed on the historically accurate facts and representations.

... the final solution?

For a playful learning experience via several senses, Orbis Romanum offers the combination of haptic figures to touch and rearrange, as well as the reaction of the digital interface to the interaction.
Beyond Frequently addressed topics, Orbis Romanum addresses a topic that is relatively unknown to the general public.