Aerospace Bristol
Situated in the heart of Bristol, Aerospace Bristol showcases a wide range of exhibits covering over a century of aviation history. Exhibits feature historical aircraft, engines, space technology, guided missiles, and more. The museum also provides interactive displays and learning programmes for all ages. The museum's major attraction is the iconic Concorde Alpha Foxtrot: The last Concorde to be built and the last to fly.
In the midst of the pandemic Bristol Aerospace museum sought to elevate its offering, transforming the way visitors, both young and old, engaged with the exhibitions on offer. Newicon was challenged with creating a memorable digital experience, taking visitors beyond a traditional museum trip and into a world that captivated their imagination and left them inspired and educated by the museum.
Newicon collaborated with UWE and Bristol Aerospace to design and build a creative, interactive app giving families an engaging and fun way to explore the museum and learn more about the history of aviation. Newicon’s CSO Mark and a team of UWE students helping out with the app build took a tour of the museum whilst it was closed during lockdown. From there they came up with a number of exciting ideas for how to keep visitors engaged and wanting to return. It was Newicons aspiration to inject a dose of excitement into every corner and every display on offer.
In their exploration of the museum the team pinpointed the immersive world of gamification as a unique and new experience to offer visitors. This idea unveiled an ingenious strategy to spark curiosity and encourage visitors to navigate through the museum with enthusiasm.
The project began with Newicon evolving the designs of the application that had come out of the museum tour, the UX/UI was then refined and developed as an initial proof of concept. Once a working prototype had been signed off Newicon produced a polished commercial application using modern Javascript-based web technology so that the app performed effectively and could scale to handle a lot of visitors using it all at the same time.
The introduction of this innovative app was a game-changer; it seamlessly fused a points-based reward system with a competitive leaderboard, all designed to engage and stimulate. The app challenged the users intellect and understanding of the exhibitions in a playful way, bolstering knowledge retention and transforming learning into an exhilarating pursuit. Within the app there was also an interactive map so that users could explore the different zones of the museum and follow the route, thus ensuring exhibits were less likely to be missed in more remote corners of the building. And finally, as the icing on the cake there was a “spin the wheel” feature added for additional bonus points to add an element of game show excitement.
After playing a major role in designing the user experience for "Alfie & Amelia’s Aerospace Adventure Application" Donata, Newicon's UX designer had the chance to receive the royal seal of approval for her work when she met HRH The Princess Royal as she visited the museum to open a new Conservation in Action Workshop.
Newicon were instrumental in creating a truly interactive experience. This innovative approach revolutionised the museum experience, creating a more enriching, interactive, and memorable journey for all visitors. The app is available to use for anyone with a smartphone, and is a guaranteed way to help children and adults get more out of their experience at the venue. Find out more about the museum on the Aerospace Bristol website.
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