I’ve worked on and led a host of multimedia projects over the years from interactive design to exhibit design.
Exhibit Design
Digital ID System (web version)
In 2015, Zoo Atlanta opened a new reptile and amphibian complex that went far beyond any exhibit that had been designed before.
I worked to help create interpretive graphics and activities, but my biggest responsibility was to create a new digital system for displaying animal information. Working with our vendor, I helped create an interactive ID that is displayed on a tablet at every exhibit, and had an easy to use backend so that keepers can add new species and move them around the building.
This also required working with the Reptile and Education departments to gather and check all the necessary animal information to build out the new database. And I spent a number of hours with the Reptile keepers to get the photos and videos needed. It was a tremendous task and a great way to learn about all the species.
Finally, I worked with the construction team to make sure we had the power and infrastructure in place to support the tablets. And then with help from the Maintenance department, I installed the 55+ tablets in the building.
I also designed a personality quiz for kiosk station through the Scaly Slimy Spectacular using BrightSign. And helped design the signage throughout the building starting at the conception stage.
For our new African Savanna exhibit, I was responsible for designing push button and touch interactives in the Zambezi Elephant center that cover conservation, an interactive tour of the new elephant facility, and the tools the keepers use during their day.
I was responsible for designing the AV system, acquiring the hardwire, shooting the video content, designing and programing the interaction, and the installation of the interactive. I also assisted our graphic designer with acquiring images for the accompanying signage, and worked with our vendor to ensure all the equipment could be easily integrated.
Event AV
One of my duties at the Zoo is to maintain our AV systems around the Zoo including in the event facilities.
In 2020, Zoo Atlanta opened the remodeled Cyclorama as a brand new event facility overlooking the African Savanna. The Zoo wanted the AV technology to be a selling point, so I was asked to manage that end of the project. On a tight budget, I worked with our AV vendor, our special events department, and the construction contractors to put together a system everyone can be proud of and wows potential clients.
Web Design
In 2018, Zoo Atlanta launched a new website. As Web Manager, I led the internal team and worked with our vendor to create a site that would serve everyone’s needs, including our guests.
Knowing that most of the team was focused on the site as a marketing tool, I worked to make sure our animal information was polished and representative of a world-class institution. It was a huge undertaking, working with the Education and Animal departments to design a template and then to fill that in for every animal.
Story Group
Outside my normal responsibilities, I’ve worked to ensure the Zoo is telling its stories as best it can. It started small, but I found a group of people from multiple departments to discuss storytelling with. I’ve screened PBS’s series on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, along with workshops from Pixar and the Leakey Foundation. And I was even able to put together an in-person workshop on science communication.
The Connections Series
In the same vein as the Story Group, I put together a new series for the Zoo to connect more with the people that already know us as well as new communities.
Starting with Ted Talks as an example, I wanted a program that would be more polished than anything the Zoo had done before – breaking out of the mold of long, stale lectures. Connections would focus on a topic important to the Zoo, but also bring in experts from different fields and their audiences to the Zoo. The series would include music and video interludes, pre-show programming on grounds, and a post show happy hour in the hope that allowing the different audiences to cross-pollinate might inspire new work.
A pared-down, test version is all that’s been produced – available here.
GTCN
I worked at the Georgia Tech Cable Network while in school for my bachelors and for a while afterward. While there I developed skills in multiple disciplines, and was lucky enough to be given the space within projects to play.
One of the first things I worked on was an animated short called Dr. Staff about a bumbling professor that always managed to get it right despite his best efforts. This was my introduction to Flash and animation. I worked with the director and graphic designer to create a fun show that gathered a small cult following on campus.
As a promotional tool for new students, I also created a point-and-click adventure Shockwave game using Director called Dr Krieg and the Student Center of Doom. As the hero, you had to work your way through a recreation of the actual Student Center to save the student population.
And with the assistance of our Cold Fusion programmer, I built a very early digital signage system for the TECHknow information channel on the campus cable system. It played ads for the housing department and events around campus, but it also allowed you to go online and choose the music that played on the station.