A flourishing interactive experience at the Brooklyn botanic Garden
Design proposal and prototype. Flora is a kiosk located in the main hall of the Steinhardt Conservatory at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The interactive environment is an introduction to the 4 main pavilions of the Conservatory; a digital representation of what you will experience as you walk through each area. Made in collaboration with Elie Zananiri.
Flora is a tabletop touch screen that is divided into 4 zones for each of the pavilions. It is shaped like a rounded square, with each edge facing the direction of the pavilion it represents. As you drag your finger in each zone, you trigger a particle-based growth animation representative of the type of flora that is found in each area: Sandstorms and cactii for the Desert Pavilion, thick deep-green vines for the Tropical Pavilion, ferns and wild flowers for the Warm Temperate Pavilion, and finally, lily pads and schools of fish for the Aquatic House.
When you place your finger on an empty space on the screen, you give birth to a plant. The longer you hold your finger down, the longer it will grow and the longer it will live. If you drag your finger along the screen, the plant will grow following your path. When you let go, the plant slowly starts dying, but you can help it live longer by touching it and dragging some more to nurture its growth.
