Interested in finding out more about our brand new gallery, Life Online? Then meet Joe Brook, Life Online Project Leader to hear more about the inspiration behind the new space, and see a sneak preview.
Showing posts with label joe brook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joe brook. Show all posts
15 February, 2012
10 January, 2012
Life Online gallery starts to take shape
Blogger: Joe Brook, Media and Galleries Manager
We've moved into the really exciting final phase of the Life Online gallery build, where the 2D concepts are finally coming to life.
The team worked for five years from drawings and plans; tweaking, adjusting, testing - sometimes throwing an idea away and starting again.
Once our concepts are fixed and we know that we can afford to build everything, the construction drawings are produced and issued to various contractors, and the physical gallery starts to take shape.
While the build progresses, the team continues to refine the content of the gallery: graphics, video, text, interactive elements and objects. Every single surface, image, seat, touch-screen, projector, object, case and video has to be carefully considered, designed and put together in time for the opening. Meanwhile, the project managers work very hard to ensure that everyone gets paid, contracts are signed, everyone is safe and that we stick to our schedule.
My job is to ensure that all of the different elements work together harmoniously, that we achieve what we set out to do and, most importantly, that all the bits and pieces which make up the gallery tell a story in a way in which people will enjoy.
Today I visited the workshop of TTS Interiors - the fantastic guys who are translating the drawings into real objects that you will touch and see when you visit. Roy, our lead designer from NRN Design came along to make sure everyone was happy with what he'd drawn, to answer any questions and resolve any issues that inevitably crop up during the manufacturing process.
Working together we resolved any remaining decisions, like the height of uplights, access to the building's heating system, the positioning of some final power outlets and cable routing for a problematic projector. We looked over a prototype interactive kiosk enclosure, show cases and various wall structures, and finally, gave the approval for manufacture to proceed ready to be loaded into trucks and brought to the Museum in a few weeks for installation.
Here are some snapshots of the objects which you'll see in the gallery. Can you tell what they are?
We've moved into the really exciting final phase of the Life Online gallery build, where the 2D concepts are finally coming to life.
The team worked for five years from drawings and plans; tweaking, adjusting, testing - sometimes throwing an idea away and starting again.
Once our concepts are fixed and we know that we can afford to build everything, the construction drawings are produced and issued to various contractors, and the physical gallery starts to take shape.
While the build progresses, the team continues to refine the content of the gallery: graphics, video, text, interactive elements and objects. Every single surface, image, seat, touch-screen, projector, object, case and video has to be carefully considered, designed and put together in time for the opening. Meanwhile, the project managers work very hard to ensure that everyone gets paid, contracts are signed, everyone is safe and that we stick to our schedule.
My job is to ensure that all of the different elements work together harmoniously, that we achieve what we set out to do and, most importantly, that all the bits and pieces which make up the gallery tell a story in a way in which people will enjoy.
Today I visited the workshop of TTS Interiors - the fantastic guys who are translating the drawings into real objects that you will touch and see when you visit. Roy, our lead designer from NRN Design came along to make sure everyone was happy with what he'd drawn, to answer any questions and resolve any issues that inevitably crop up during the manufacturing process.
Working together we resolved any remaining decisions, like the height of uplights, access to the building's heating system, the positioning of some final power outlets and cable routing for a problematic projector. We looked over a prototype interactive kiosk enclosure, show cases and various wall structures, and finally, gave the approval for manufacture to proceed ready to be loaded into trucks and brought to the Museum in a few weeks for installation.
Here are some snapshots of the objects which you'll see in the gallery. Can you tell what they are?
01 November, 2011
Interviewing the Inventor of Email
Blogger: Anna Ward, Content Developer
In March 2012 our new gallery Life Online opens. Work starts later this month to transform the foyer area of the museum. Don't worry Games Lounge fans, a revamped lounge will appear upstairs.
The idea of the Life Online gallery has been around for several years. The core team, Joe Brook, Tom Woolley, and Sarah Crowther have been beavering away since 2007 collecting content, shaping ideas and trying to work out how on earth to capture something so formless in a museum setting.
The last year has seen the gallery really coming together and with the help of industry and academic experts, we have managed to pin down what we will say in the gallery and what it will look like.
Tom Woolley and Anna Ward
I came on board last April and have been helping the curators get their ideas down on paper, collect the images we'd like you to see, and capture on film some of the people who helped make the internet what it is today.
I was very excited last week to set up an interview with Ray Tomlinson.
Back in 1971, Ray invented something most of us use everyday without much thought. I for one would be lost without it – email. Ray sent the very first email.
He lives in Boston... our budgets don't stretch that far, so, very much in keeping with a gallery all about the internet, Tom, Emma Shaw (our media developer), and I piled into Emma's office – set up a laptop and interviewed Ray via Skype.
I didn't think I would be so excited, but it was a real thrill when the webcam panned around and focussed on Ray. He's a really lovely man who has obviously been interviewed many times before; very professional and succinct with his answers – it couldn't have gone better.
Ray Tomlinson and Tom Woolley
We received an email after the interview saying that Ray had very much enjoyed it and that the idea of using Skype was a great one. Sounds like we've done something no one has done before, yay team and yay for Ray!
In March 2012 our new gallery Life Online opens. Work starts later this month to transform the foyer area of the museum. Don't worry Games Lounge fans, a revamped lounge will appear upstairs.
The idea of the Life Online gallery has been around for several years. The core team, Joe Brook, Tom Woolley, and Sarah Crowther have been beavering away since 2007 collecting content, shaping ideas and trying to work out how on earth to capture something so formless in a museum setting.
The last year has seen the gallery really coming together and with the help of industry and academic experts, we have managed to pin down what we will say in the gallery and what it will look like.
Tom Woolley and Anna Ward
I came on board last April and have been helping the curators get their ideas down on paper, collect the images we'd like you to see, and capture on film some of the people who helped make the internet what it is today.
I was very excited last week to set up an interview with Ray Tomlinson.
Back in 1971, Ray invented something most of us use everyday without much thought. I for one would be lost without it – email. Ray sent the very first email.
He lives in Boston... our budgets don't stretch that far, so, very much in keeping with a gallery all about the internet, Tom, Emma Shaw (our media developer), and I piled into Emma's office – set up a laptop and interviewed Ray via Skype.
I didn't think I would be so excited, but it was a real thrill when the webcam panned around and focussed on Ray. He's a really lovely man who has obviously been interviewed many times before; very professional and succinct with his answers – it couldn't have gone better.
Ray Tomlinson and Tom Woolley
We received an email after the interview saying that Ray had very much enjoyed it and that the idea of using Skype was a great one. Sounds like we've done something no one has done before, yay team and yay for Ray!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
