information murals / mfa thesis

carbon emissions mural / University of Wisconsin-Madison / 10-24-08

SCENARIO:
Set up 10 ft wide x 5 ft high canvas  “Reduce your Carbon Emissions” information mural at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Bioenergy Summit, Microbial Sciences Building. My project objective was to observe audience attraction or interaction to the information murals.  My intention was to observe participants and to survey viewers only after they pause and view the mural longer than 30 seconds. 

SURVEY Q&A
Q1) What was that panel about?
A1) Carbon Emissions-6, the environment -1

Q2) Where would you usually see something like this?
A2) a textbook-3     an art gallery-1    a billboard or ad -2
a museum exhibit-1  none of the  above -2

Q4) Did you discover any new information? What was new info?
A4) Yes-4     No-3   

Q5) Did these boards have positive or negative messages?
A5) Negative-0       positive-7       other-0

Total survey participants: 7, Males: 5, Females: 2
Ages: 20 to 30 = 2, 31 to 75=5

General notes: This was a very knowledgeable audience and interesting venue. Although I was glad to have the opportunity to study and survey - I felt I was presenting this audience with a “second grade version”  of  info while they were at a “doctorate level”  summit. This highly educated audience had very insightful comments. The information was deemed to be ‘basic’ and appropriate for children or uneducated adults.  (That would be a general audience) Another comment was that it was not “emphatic enough” to urge to “consume less” (that would be the friendly nature of the mural) . I was anticipating that this audience would not be learning any new information, but three participants noted that the Native American proverb was new information.

healthy kids mural / final home

My big "Grow Healthy Kids" mural was bought from me (for cost) by a government/kids health initiative and now lives at Lakeland HealthCare Center for Outpatient Services. It can still travel to other health fairs and wellness events. I set in up Saturday, September 27, 2008 in its semi-permanent home at a 'after participating in a nationwide 'family walk to wellness event'.

It is an awesome feeling to know I created something positive and eye-catching (impossible to ignore) from "blah,blah, facts" that will grab the attention of the right people in the right places. I have had a request to create business cards with all the website adresses, so interested viewers can take away those resources in a tangible form. Good idea.

Setting up that mural for the last time and leaving it behind - is going down as one of those big important-bittersweet-milestone-life-moments.

carbon emissions mural / Century Center Conference Center / 9-18-2008

Wrong venue and wrong audience for public service information mural!

The great people who work for the Century Center were nice enough to arrange for me to set up my mural during a 'Business Expo' event (arrangements made back in March of 2008) Unfortunately, the Chamber of Commerce (event sponsor) was mad I did not pay the event entrance fee - they kept giving me dirty looks and actually set up rope barricades to prevent people from walking over my way. The members of that organization did not even pause to look what my mural was about - they were so mad I was trying to horn in on their action (see the first part of my video for the isolation area). The business audience was only looking for free giveaways, anyway. Grown men in suits rushing to get mardi-gras necklaces and hoola-hoops, free anything and free DRINKS.  This audience, in this greed mode will not pause to look at a public service message - lesson learned. One man hopped over the barricade to ask me what I was giving away. I should have said "Good visual advice".  Lesson learned.

No surveys - no one qualified.

carbon emissions mural / IUSB Library / 8-28-2008

SCENARIO:
Set up 10 ft wide x 5 ft high canvas  “Reduce your Carbon Emissions” info mural at the Indiana University at South Bend Library, vestibule entrance area. My project objective was to observe audience attraction or interaction to the information murals.  My intention was to observe participants and to survey viewers only after they pause and view the mural longer than 30 seconds. 

SURVEY Q&A
Q1) What was that panel about?
A1) Carbon Emissions (4), the environment (1),  what we are breathing (1)

Q2)  Where would you usually see something like this?
A2) a textbook-0     an art gallery-0    a billboard or ad -4
a museum exhibit-0  none of the  above -2: magazine (1), news (1)

Q4)  Did you discover any new information? What was new info?
A4) Yes-4     No-2   

Q5)  Did these boards have positive or negative messages?
A5) Negative-0       positive-6       other-0

Total survey participants: 6, Males: 2, Females: 4
Ages: 20 to 30 = 4, 31 to 75=2

General notes: The students seemed to be focused and hurried both coming and going from the library. Many students travel between campus venues while talking on a cell phone, and I noticed more than half the students had one in their hands either talking or viewing. Nevertheless, the mural was able to get most students to glance and many students to pause. Since these are designed to be so full of visual information - a quick glance still gives them a dose of the message. It was interesting to see so many heads turn. The entrance vestibule may not be the best location, for exploration, but that is where I was permitted to set up. I was glad for the opportunity.

healthy kids mural / We Can! Rally / 8-26-2008

SCENARIO:
Set up 10 ft wide x 5 ft high canvas  “Healthy Kids” info mural at the We Can! Berrien County and Lakeland Healthcare health rally. This rally was a celebration of a successful ‘walking campaign’  initiative, ‘Walk to Beijing’. My project objective was to observe audience attraction or interaction to the information murals.  My intention was to observe rally participants and to survey viewers only after they pause and view the mural longer than 30 seconds.

SURVEY Q&A
Q1) What was that panel about?
A1) Healthy kids (all similar answers)

Q2)  Where would you usually see something like this?
A2) a textbook-1     an art gallery-1    a billboard or ad -5
a museum exhibit-1  none of the  above -1

Q4) Did you discover any new information? What was new info?
A4) Yes-6     No-2   

Q5)  Did these boards have positive or negative messages?
A5) Negative-0       positive-8       other-0

Total survey participants: 8, Males: 1, Females: 7
Ages: 31 to 60=8

General notes: This healthcare workers’ audience is pre-disposed to appreciate this type of information and the graphic treatment of the subject matter.

healthy kids mural / Berrien County Building / 8-21-2008

SCENARIO:
Set up 10 ft wide x 5 ft high canvas  “Healthy Kids” info mural at Berrien County Administration office building, outside of the County Clerk windows. My project objective was to observe audience attraction or interaction to the information murals.  My intention was to observe building visitors and to survey viewers only after they pause and view the mural longer than 30 seconds. Although the staff and county workers loved the mural and what the project was trying to accomplish, the visitors were task-focused and did not divert from their tasks to approach. Al though many glanced in passing, only one person participated in the survey.

SURVEY Q&A
Q1) What was that panel about?
A1) Kid’s Poor Health

Q2) Where would you usually see something like this?
A2) a textbook-0     an art gallery-0    a billboard or ad -1
a museum exhibit-0

Q4) Did you discover any new information? What was new info?
A4) Yes-1     No-0   

Q5) Did these boards have positive or negative messages?
A5) Negative-0       positive-0       other -1: How to change negative to positive

Total survey participants: 1, Males: 1, Females: 0
Ages: 31 to 60=1

General notes: The county office visitors were very task-focused on passports, birth certificates and tax issues. Even though they had some waiting time, they were not in a mode for any exploration. The staff seemed very disappointed (they were very nice), but apparently even though this information appears to be a good match to a county government office building, this particular audience was not in the right exploratory mode.

mural display / Wisconsin Governor Doyle Press Event

August 13, 2008 - PARK FALLS, Wisconsin

prototype survey / Krasl Art Center / 8-19-2008

SCENARIO:
Set up boards outside of Krasl Art Center, outdoors amongst the very cool outdoor sculptures. My project objective was to observe audience attraction or interaction to the information murals.  My intention was to observe pedestrians and art center visitors and to survey viewers only after they pause and view more than 2 murals for longer than 30 seconds. I moved the display once (hooray for portability) to a more public area (as the curator suggested). If the mural order is switched in the middle of the video clip, the wind kept blowing over the murals until I devised the perfect ‘bungee cord and sandbag’ combination.

SURVEY Q&A
Q1) Which of these boards did you notice first or “caught your eye” first?
A1) Carbon Emissions-1    Conserve Energy-3    Recycling-4    Water-1    Healthy Kids-2

Q2) Can you guess what about that board attracted your attention?
A2) Content-2     Type/headline-1      Symbol/shapes-3      Color-5     Size- 1

Q3) Where would you usually see something like this?
A3) a textbook-5     an art gallery-2    a billboard or ad -4
a museum exhibit- 4  none of the above-1

Q4) Did you discover any new information? What was new info?
A4) Yes-6     No-3 

Q5) Did these boards have positive or negative messages?
A5) Negative-0       positive-6    both-1  other -1

Total survey participants: 9, Males: 2, Females: 7
Ages: 9 to 30 = 5, 31 to 75=4

General notes: The children I surveyed, were almost as interested in the survey as the murals. These children were on lunch break from summer art classes and were the most ‘exploratory mode’ group I have encountered. They were interested to find that I could ask viewers about what I have designed. My impressions about these murals, the more I see children interact with them, is that big information murals brought in as a ‘information immersion environment’  with an accompanying short list of challenges could be an enriching exploratory experience.

The other interesting observation: being outdoors, on a beautiful summer day, in front of an art museum with five colorful murals will make heads turn. Although a midweek light traffic day, most car drivers , bicyclists and pedestrians had to at least take a glance.

Thanks to Krasl art center for letting me test my boards. True art and design heroes.
http://www.krasl.org

healthy kids mural / full-size mural display / Berrien County Youth Fair

SCENARIO:
Set up 10 ft wide x 5 ft high canvas  info mural at Berrien County Youth Fair, Berrien Springs Michigan. The mural was placed in the Lakeland HealthCare tent. Lakeland Healthcare’s mission, at the fair, was to provide public service and community benefit health screenings and information. The mural’s content was a great match to the venue, audience and audience mode. The audience mode was exploration and health care discovery. My project objective was to observe audience attraction or interaction to the information mural.  My intention is to survey viewers only after they walk up to the mural and view more one minute. At that point I approach and ask the viewer if they would complete a survey.

SURVEY Q&A
Q1) What was that panel about?
A1) all eight responses: Healthy kids

Q2) Where would you usually see something like this?
A2) a textbook-1     an art gallery-0    a billboard or ad -6
a museum exhibit-1  none of the above-1: school

Q4)  Did you discover any new information? What was new info?
A4) Yes-7     No-0    (various new info listed)

Q5)  Did these boards have positive or negative messages?
A5) Negative-0       positive-8    

Total survey participants: 8, Males: 1, Females: 7
Ages: 20 to 30 = 1, 31 to 60=7

General notes: The healthcare workers forgot that this was my ‘school’ project and wondered why the mural was up for only a day. The venue was a great match.  Context, audience, audience information reception mode. I had a couple of interesting comments: One participant liked the ‘fall hazards’ info on the mural survey form. The ‘fall hazard’ was a coloring page worksheet with 20 potential household tripping scenarios - the viewer completed with her child while sitting next to the mural. The coloring/worksheet was a very ‘exploratory’ format - but was not on the mural. It was interesting that the survey taker connected that ‘information experience’ and attributed it to the mural. Another interesting comment - one person suggested business cards next to the murals with the web sites listed. They wanted more info but knew they would not remember the web sites.

Interesting e-mail:
>>> Pamela Kurtz 8/15/2008 4:29 PM >>>
Hi Vida,
I loved your “grow a healthy child” banner at the fair.  It is awesome.  Let me know if I could borrow it for some future We Can! programs!
thanks
Pam

Pamela Kurtz  MS RD CDE
Outpatient Dietitian, Lakeland HealthCare

Final Note:
This 'information mural' will be used locally to help promote the "We Can!" initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/

mural prototype survey - Chicago Public Library

SCENARIO:
Set up boards in hallway outside of the Winter Garden Room of the Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago. The special luncheon event featured a presentation on “The New Green Economy: Creating Green Collar Jobs”, sponsored by the Delta Institute (a non-profit environmental institute). [The speaker Van Jones was GREAT!] My project objective was to observe audience attraction or interaction to information murals.  My intention is to survey viewers only after they pause and view more than 2 murals for longer than 30 seconds.

SURVEY Q&A
Q1) Which of these boards did you notice first or “caught your eye” first?
A1) Carbon Emissions-4    Conserve Energy-1    Recycling-1    Water-0    Healthy Kids-0

Q2) Can you guess what about that board attracted your attention?
A2) Content-4     Type/headline-3      Symbol/shapes-1      Color-3

Q3) Where would you usually see something like this?
A3) a textbook-1     an art gallery-0    a billboard or ad -3
a museum exhibit-1  none of the above-1

Q4) Did you discover any new information? What was new info?
A4) Yes-4     No-2   , Recycling-2, Healthy Kids-2

Q5) Did these boards have positive or negative messages?
A5) Negative-0       positive-6    

Total survey participants: 6, Males: 5, Females: 1
Ages: 20 to 30 = 4, 31 to 55=2

General notes: This group was an environmental-issue savvy, well-educated group. I observed that this group was really more drawn to certain subject matter than to color. I know that many people in this audience work with “carbon trading” or are interested in the politics or business of “green Industries”. Therefore it did not surprise me that the Carbon mural had drawn the most viewers from across the hall.