Royal Ontario Museum

The Royal Ontario Museum, the fifth largest museum in North America, commissioned Overdrive to design and program the interactive portion of its new Historical Donor Wall Exhibition. This interactive, digital presentation was conceived to celebrate and pay tribute to the ROM’s rich history of leadership and philanthropy.

Using a unique digital projection system, the exhibition represents an innovative and creative solution to donor recognition. No longer are the names of the ROM's donors and leaders literally “carved in stone”. Users can now view a complete bilingual presentation of key donors, interactive timelines and video biographies of various key figures from the ROM's illustrious history.

Client Mandate
Elegance. This was the keyword used to first described the overall result that the ROM wished to achieve with the Donor Wall project. The installation was slated to be part of one of the most historically significant galleries at the ROM, the Currelly Gallery, where renovations were scheduled to be completed by mid-December 2005. Once these renovations are complete, the Currelly Gallery will become pivotal as a transition point between the historical ROM and the new addition, the Michael A. Lee Chin Crystal. The gallery will also become a lounge area for visitors. For this reason the design for the Donor Wall appropriately pays tribute to both the history and future of the ROM – history being acknowledged through the setting and content of the installation while the future is evidenced through the technology used to execute the presentation. The project also allows for many fine archival images, never before seen by the public, to be viewed and explored.

The Challenge
The main challenge of this project was deadline. With only 3.5 months from the project kick-off to its installation and public debut in the Currelly gallery, there was no room for error. Solid project management was required to ensure that all the diverse aspects of the project were properly coordinated – a text book example of the value of detail, open communication, collaboration and accountability. From the construction of the glass cases, the design of the video backdrops, synchronizing multiple projectors, content generation, the design and construction of the interactive interface, to the installation of the infrared input devices; it all had to work together to ensure the project would be a success.

The Objectives
Overdrive was commissioned to create an interactive touch screen interface that would enable users to actively view the names of key donors, scroll through interactive timelines of key events, and view video biographies of prominent figures from the ROM's history. With such an extensive collection of content, the solution that Overdrive had to deliver would not only have to be robust but create a solid hierarchy of information access to all the archives with limited clickthrough. The design also had to take into account the resolution and sensitivity of the input devices that would be used to translate touching the glass surface into a ‘click’. This interactive area would then have to be integrated into an overall projected image. The programming challenge involved on Overdrive's part was to manage the seamless integration of these two elements.

Design Solutions Connection
The advantage of working with Overdrive is that we work with the client through planning, ideation and prototype through to production and final execution in all elements. The process is truly collaborative and iterative. In this case, Overdrive was on hand to make recommendations regarding technology and implementation that enabled the final design to integrate perfectly with all other aspects of the development.

Exceeded Public Objectives
The project was delivered on-time and budget. The installation was very well received when it was previewed for the internal staff of the ROM, the media and later at a gala event held for the preeminent members of the Major ROM Donors and the ROM Board of Trustees. David Palmer, President & Executive Director at the ROM had this to say about the installation and the collective team.

“You have all done a beautiful job embracing and delivering on our collective goal to lift donor recognition and stewardship to the same high standards of design and elegance as the environment of Renaissance ROM. The sensitivity, grace and warmth of this stewardship program makes a very important statement about the ROM's values, injecting confidence and genuine gratitude into our relationships with donors and volunteers. I know you have all poured an enormous amount of time and effort into this, and I want to say a resounding thank you on behalf of the Governors' Office, the Board of Governors, the Donor Relations Task Force, and the RenROM Campaign Cabinet, not to mention donors andvolunteers past and present”.

Competitive Edge
Overdrive has the resources to ensure that the project ran smoothly. In turn the ROM was able to trust Overdrive implicitly to make the correct design decisions that would ensure that the project was finished on time, on budget and to rigorous ROM standards.

The Connection Between the Design and the End User
The overall design of the kiosk creates a seamless connection between the user and the interface. The design and technology become transparent and immersive as the interface encompasses not only what is directly in front of the user but visually fills in the periphery. The design solution presents the user with an innovative and rich experience of donor recognition, an experience that can only deepen one's appreciation of the evolution of the ROM and the integral part it's donors have played in it's continuum. Through this understanding there is the hope that others will identify with past and current patrons and become involved with the museum.

View the Interactive Send Page to a Friend