Revitalizing a Beloved Exhibition to Better Support Children and Families at the Science Center of Iowa

Experience Design Research
Written By Cathy Sigmond

Client: Science Center of Iowa | Location: Des Moines, IA

 
 

We led a front-end evaluation to support the reimagining of When Things Get Moving, a hands-on science exhibition designed to support intergenerational groups of visitors in learning about physics, force, and motion.  

OVERVIEW

In 2023, we partnered with the Science Center of Iowa (SCI) to lead a front-end evaluation to support the reimagining of When Things Get Moving, an exhibition that brings physics and motion to life through hands-on play. Our evaluation was the kickoff event for a rapid year-long redesign of the exhibition, with the ultimate goal of revitalizing it to best support intergenerational groups of visitors. 

APPROACH

During spring break (a busy time at SCI), we conducted in-depth interviews with intergenerational groups of children and adults as they exited When Things Get Moving to explore: 

  • The highs and lows of visitors’ experiences in the current exhibition, to understand what aspects of the experience are working well and where there is the most room for change; 

  • Visitors’ takeaways, questions, and curiosities about physics, forces, and motion, to see where there are gaps in visitors’ understandings and room for growth; and 

  • How, if at all, visitors relate these core concepts to their everyday lives, to inspire new storylines and touch points in the revitalized experience.    

CLIENT TAKEAWAYS

We found that while visitors love the current When Things Get Moving experience for its contagious energy and strong emphasis on hands-on experimentation and collaboration, they are also ready and excited for it to change—especially repeat visitors who have been “coming for years.“ While most visitor groups (children and adults) came away from their experience having thought at least briefly about physics and motion, their thinking was somewhat simplistic and could be pushed further.  Adult caregivers in particular hoped for more support in reminding themselves of the scientific “basics” to better facilitate their children’s learning.    

These insights gave the design team at SCI confidence to begin their transformation of the When Things Get Moving experience in an audience-centered way.

Cathy Sigmond

Cathy brings many years of experience in education and experience design to her role as Head of Strategy at Kera Collective. 

Having previously worked in a variety of educational settings, Cathy is driven by her constant fascination and delight at how people make discoveries about the familiar and the unfamiliar. 

Cathy loves helping to shape experiences that spark curiosity and make a difference in people’s lives. She particularly enjoys the rapid, iterative nature of design-based research and the deep insights that come from qualitative research, especially on projects exploring interactions with the digital and built environments. 

Cathy shares her passion for experience design research widely and regularly guest lectures for graduate programs, including the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Exhibition and Experience Design Program and the Pratt Institute’s School of Information. Cathy served as the co-chair of the Museum Computer Network’s Human-Centered Design special interest group from 2018-2021.

Outside of work, you can usually find Cathy playing soccer, thrifting, or making her way through her large cookbook collection. 

Cathy’s favorite museum experiences are immersive; she will always vividly remember walking through the giant heart at the Franklin Institute, being surrounded by birds at the Peabody Essex Museum, and hearing centuries-old instruments come to life at the Museum of Musical Instruments. 

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