The Journey to Civilization
Museum Exhibit Design Concept - Individual Project
Project
A fictional museum, the Ardan Museum of Prehistory, has requested a new exhibit wing. New acquisitions have inspired an exploration into unearthing humankind’s prehistoric journey to construct the pillars of civilization.
Covering Language & Memory, Agriculture & Domestication, Currency, Legal Structures, and Astronomy, the exhibit must bring the past to life with interactive elements, films, and hands-on experiences for each concept.
This conceptual pitch deck, to present to the museum donors, explains the overall plan of the experience.
The Journey to Civilization Isometric Map, 2020.
Sketchup Model and Photoshop Rendering
Guest Experience
Entry Room
This story, OUR COLLECTIVE PAST, begins with humanity. Our ancestors formed groups and communities as they moved and socialized around this shared earth. Over time, as they settled into new rhythms, these peoples formed early civilization.
Language & Memory
To get to civilization, they first had to communicate. With the development of LANGUAGE, our ancestors learned to speak. Through oral storytelling and the birth of writing, they created a shared MEMORY of the world around them.
Agriculture & Domestication
But building a civilization took more than communication. First, our nomadic ancestors had to stop moving. With the use of early tools and a growing understanding of their relationship with animals, AGRICULTURE & DOMESTICATION became the next step in the creation of early cities.
Currency
As these early cities formed, so did the first property transactions. The switch from bartering to an early form of CURRENCY allowed our ancestors to exchange goods and services freely within their communities and with those around them as cities expanded.
Legal Structures
This growth of community also meant the growth of tension and a need for rules. To handle this, LEGAL STRUCTURES formed to govern the masses. This varied from systems built for the good of the group to ‘an eye for an eye’ justice.
Astronomy
Just like us, our ancestors looked to the stars and wondered what was beyond. They created early ASTRONOMY by tracking the stars to find patterns and predict the seasons and to answer a lingering question: is there something bigger than me out there?
Final Pitch Deck
Please note, this project is not affiliated with any company/corporation, intellectual property, or other body of work. It was created as a personal exercise and is not indicative of any past, present, or future plans in any industry.