Hunt Library: Rain Garden Reading Room
The James B. Hunt Library (or Hunt Library) is a modern, technology-driven facility constructed in 2014 on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University. (more information here: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/huntlibrary)
Objective: Create a print artifact to illustrate the effects of the Rain Garden Reading Room on its users' ability to work and study within the space.
Preparation: Independent research on environmental psychology was conducted to identify critical factors of the space that may have an effect on library users. Relevant factors were identified to be furniture, spatial arrangement, lighting, noise, and accommodations. These focal points provided a knowledge base with which data collected about user behavior would later be analyzed and presented. Selected users of the Rain Garden Reading Room were interviewed while using the space. Data was gathered based on how the five factors listed above affected their typical behavior patterns while using the space.
Design: I elected to create a 24"x36" foldable, double-sided poster, using a 4x4 fold pattern (sixteen 9"x6" panels) to more naturally organize and present the large amount of data. This also allowed me to create a tailored experience for the viewer while opening the pamphlet, in order to avoid presenting an overwhelming amount of information at once.
The images below describe the user experience while first unfolding the knowledge map.
Arrive at full view of unfolded knowledge map.
Front (outside) unfolded view.
An illustrated map shows the layout of the Hunt Library second floor, and the location of the Rain Garden Reading Room.
Rear (inside) unfolded vew.
Row 1 illustrates the variety of seating areas within the Rain Garden Reading Room.
Row 2 describes environmental factors such as ambient noise, lighting, and crowd circulation.
Row 3 provides information about various accommodations available to users of the space, such as AC outlets built into the floor, and a nearby help desk.
