— PROJECT NAME
Engraving Egypt
— ROLE
Exhibit Design, Interaction Design, Information Design, Game Design, Fabrication, Physical Computing
— TOOLS
Adobe Creative Suite, HTML/CSS.js, p5.js, Arduino
Designed as a playful interactive experience based on the research Engraving Egypt by Katherine Parks (2021), this exhibit tells the story of The Description de l’Égypte, an Encyclopedia of the findings of Napoleon’s army during the French invasion of Egypt (1798–1801). It aims to show the sheer extent of this massive, multi-volume illustrated book, the imperial underpinnings of The Description of Egypt, and the intricate engraving techniques interactively and engagingly.
— PROJECT NAME
Engraving Egypt
— ROLE
Exhibit Design, Interaction Design, Information Design, Game Design, Fabrication, Physical Computing
— TOOLS
Adobe Creative Suite, HTML/CSS.js, p5.js, Arduino
Designed as a playful interactive experience based on the research Engraving Egypt by Katherine Parks (2021), this exhibit tells the story of The Description de l’Égypte, an Encyclopedia of the findings of Napoleon’s army during the French invasion of Egypt (1798–1801). It aims to show the sheer extent of this massive, multi-volume illustrated book, the imperial underpinnings of The Description of Egypt, and the intricate engraving techniques interactively and engagingly.
About the Research:
• Studying the The Description de l’Égypte → Encyclopedia of the findings of Napoleon’s army during the French invasion of Egypt (1798–1801).
• Exemplifies imperial narrative both in the political and intellectual realm by studying a set of engravings.
Exhibition Goals:
• To effectively communicate the research using playful interactives
• To raise awareness about its Orientalist underpinnings while also discrediting its objectivity
• To highlight Egyptian art and the techniques of engraving
Element 1: Magical Puzzle
Element 1: Magical Puzzle
This exhibition segment aims to capture the wonder and intricacies inherent in the artworks of The Description de l’Égypte. Our first interactive feature is not just a puzzle but an exciting treasure hunt designed to engage and captivate visitors, drawing them into the broader themes of the exhibition. We've crafted this experience to resemble an Indiana Jones adventure, sparking excitement and curiosity.
The puzzle pieces are hidden in the sand. As you find each piece and complete the puzzle, it will trigger a sequence started by multiple analog light sensors positioned at the base of the puzzle assembly area. When the sensors detect the specified light values — indicating the puzzle's completion — it prompts the Arduino to communicate with the p5.js sketch (through serial communication), subsequently unveiling the magical puzzle animation, which is then projected on top of the puzzle with a hidden projector placed at the top.
Fabrication Process
In constructing the physical components of the exhibition, we mainly used solid wood cut to specific dimensions. A CNC router also shaped certain elements to achieve the desired sizes and forms. The puzzle assembly area comprises laser-cut acrylic sheets, which were hand-painted with acrylic paint.
Initially, our design for the exhibition required a significantly larger space than what was available. Upon inspecting the allocated area, we had to redesign our initial plan to suit the space constraints better. Despite these modifications, the revised design feels more efficient in its space utilization and aligns well with our student-friendly budget.
Animation
I converted one of the engravings from the research into a vector file which I then colored and enhanced using Adobe Photoshop and animated using After Effects. Finally I used the exported animation video as the output of the p5.js sketch that was triggered by the puzzle.
Element 2: Tile Matching Game
Element 2: Tile Matching Game
It is a game where pairs of face-down blocks must be matched. Given the visual-orientedness of the Encylopedia, all imageries on the cards are taken from The Description de l’Égypte. This interactive game aims to highlight the research in engaging ways when learning about an otherwise heavily historical subject. Looking at the engravings multiple times also engraves these images in the audience's minds.
Development
This game was developed with JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and image assets hosted on GitHub. We aimed to implement a scoreboard to introduce a competitive element, allowing players to compare scores and compete against themselves; however, this was not accomplished due to time constraints and the time-consuming nature of setting up the venue.
Aside from contextual printed information labels on the side of the main exhibit, other supplementary infographics were initially designed to be printed, emulating the displays found in real-life museum exhibitions. However, considering the available space, a timed slideshow was more suitable.
The information is presented in bite-sized segments, emphasizing the distinctions between the original drawings and the reproduced engravings in The Description of Egypt.
