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The Brain Index

The Brain Index is an interactive digital installation in the public lobby of the Jerome L. Greene Science Center at Columbia University. The piece combines art, science, data, storytelling and information design, and invites visitors to consider the brain from new perspectives and to explore the current research of leading neuroscientists working upstairs in the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute.

The purpose of the installation is to engage the public, capture their imagination, encourage wonder and reward curiosity by vividly communicating complex brain science and why it matters. Stories by individual researchers sharing their work in pushing the boundaries of neuroscience are told through broadly accessible interactives that combine narrative text and illustrations, information design, laboratory simulations, and research artifacts.

As a part of the team at AV&C, my role was contribution to UX-IX design and software design of this piece. Through brainstorming sessions with the team, I created storyboards to show screen behaviors for different levels of interaction, and preliminary wireframes for the content management system. For visual and technical options, I performed some content and transition tests as well.




Screens travel up and down in patterns



Screens line up and show questions to set up stories



Screens descend with call to actions



Visitors interact with stories on their screens



Closeup of a story showing different chapters


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