Exploring how different types of iterative workflow can be used to create impact.

Focusing on two digital experiences Te Papa produced to increase impact for the exhibition Dinosaurs of Patagonia, we explore how different approaches to iterative workflow can be used to create impact.

Creative Production for Create a Dino interactive experience followed a robust, iterative, user-centric workflow, including a fully-fledged Google Design Sprint with key stakeholders and creative / technical teams. At key stages, we undertook robust focus group workshops and audience testing with 8-12 year old target audience groups for: Concept, Aesthetics, User Journey Experience Design, and Usability. The result was a highly engaging and ‘sticky’ experience meeting and exceeding our impact goals with target audience, and extending reach well beyond target audience demographics.

However, creative production for Patagotitan Herd Immersive Experience followed a different kind of iterative workflow. Rather than audience-centric workflow, the emphasis was on creative collaboration. Early iterative prototyping and testing, led to a wonderful amalgamation of creative animation, lighting design, spatial design, and colour. Although our focus was on aesthetics, to our great surprise, audiences engaged with the experience at a strong emotional level and in physical interaction at large scale. Even though no interactivity was planned, this turned out to be one of this highest impact experiences in the exhibition. Patagotitan Herd Experience reached levels of engagement far exceeding expectation through a ‘less is more’ approach. And yet, I believe that if we had initially aimed to achieve higher levels of impact though interactivity, at greater effort, budget, and intensive user-centric workflow, we still wouldn’t have achieved the resulting levels of impact observed through a less-is-more approach. It was such a privilege observing audience enthusiastically and energetically interacting with this ‘non-interactive’ experience.

Amos Mann, Te Papa: Amos Mann is a creative producer and experience designer with 25 years’ professional practice leading creative and technical teams within the museum, science, art, and cultural sectors, engaging and inspiring audiences nationally and internationally. He is a Digital Producer at Te Papa (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa) where he produces interactive and immersive experiences. Amos also engages in creative practices across photographic art, filmmaking, writing, and composition. His Masters research focused on participatory art theory and practice, and creative music notation. Amos’s ancestors are Scottish (clan Buchanan), English, and Polish Jewish.