Sun Earth Universe Exhibit

Graphic design and exhibit development | Science Museum of Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN

Developed in collaboration with the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network), Sun Earth Universe is a 600-square-foot exhibition that invites visitors to explore Earth and space science. Funded by NASA, the exhibit connects family audiences with current NASA research while presenting space science as approachable, hands-on, and fun.

The project team sought a graphic strategy that embodied the spirit of creative exploration while feeling welcoming and accessible. I balanced current NASA imagery and data with sketched elements, a custom handwritten typeface, and hand-lettered graphics to create a sense of warmth and approachability.

A key design challenge was to develop interactive stations that encouraged tactile engagement and long dwell times while staying true to the science—and doing so in a format that could be reproduced affordably for 50+ copies. Graphics played a central role in meeting these goals. In Design, Build, Test, visitors construct model spacecraft equipped with a variety of NASA instruments; at the Tools Table, complex layered images are revealed using NASA-inspired technology; and in the museum-floor-ready board game Your Mission to Space, participants experience the teamwork and iteration required to plan an execute a complex mission.

Designed to be low-cost and adaptable for institutions ranging from small community museums to major science centers, 52 copies of Sun Earth Universe were produced and distributed to partner sites across the country.