Interview about Pitch Interactive Exhibit, winner of the A' Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design Award 2020
Yogi Berra was a baseball icon. The museum dedicated to his greatness in Little Falls, NY, was looking for a modern and fun sparkling way to deliver his spirit to young and old. Responsive Spaces provided an easy to engage with, interactive exhibit which presents the physics of baseball to all visitors. The goal was to be convenient enough for indoor use while at the same time deliver some ball whirling action. By combining stylized illustrations with high-tech sensor magic Responsive Spaces created an installation, which meets all prerequisites and most importantly, is lots of fun to play!
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe details of the technical solution really came to life during the progress of the project. We did not think technology, we thought experience. The goal was, to create a very simplified, but entertaining way, to create a media installation that embodies the core elements of baseball. We then simply needed something to measure the speed and the hit-point of the soft balls on the display surfaces.
To keep it as simple as possible from a "player" point of view. Take a ball and throw it .. That's it!The harder you hit and the more accurate .. the higher the chances to get Yogi Berra deliver one of his famous quotes.
Again, same answer. By keeping it as simple as possible ;-) There is really not much more to it. While developing an installation like this, you should never forget the simplicity of the original goal that was set out in the beginning.
We just knew, we need to be able to track fast thrown balls. The slow ones were easy from the beginning of the prototyping process. The fast ones were the challenge. Luckily we could find a sensor, that runs on a high enough frequency to really "catch" the position of the hit of balls that are thrown at even rocket-speed.
We developed a unique illustrative style that allowed us to stay playful, to stay flexible for animations and to not hurt the overall image and memory of the icon that is Yogi Berra.
By being able to keep everything pretty simple, we were also able to create a very stable system. But nothing would have been possible without the really great support of the stuff of the museum. They - for years now - do really take care of the installation.
There is no other way, to our mind, to create a game that feels real, if it is not built as a real-time application. Interaction design is a very unique discipline because it happens on the intersection of so many fields of speciality: graphic design, technological possibilities and limitations, human-machine interaction aspects, game play and experience design as well as the fact to not forget, that Pitch! should make fun to use!
There was always the goal to draw a strong connection to Yogi Berra. The museum is full of his sport accomplishments. Therefore we thought it might be fun to bring in his quotes, because they were also a big part of him and supported his status as sports icon as well as a person, that is part of American popular culture. "It ain't over 'till it's over" is a quote, for example, that is simply bigger than sport.
Interactivity and engagement is key to successful installations in museums and exhibition. The people of today, more than ever before, do not just want to be told stuff, they want to be entertained.
Do not think about technical limitations or stuff that might not work too soon. Start with the core idea, the core goal of whatever you want to achieve. And then go from there ... The technologies that are available to all of us nowadays are so capable, that usually, every idea can be brought to life. And if the core idea is good, the final thing will be good as well.
Dive into a world of design excellence with our curated highlights. Each feature showcases outstanding creativity, innovation, and impact from the design world. Discover inspiration and learn more about these incredible achievements.
