"The massive scale of this awe-inspiring IBM installation parallels the vast improvements technology continues to make to our world." —juror Dave Curry
"Through the use of dynamic data visualization, beautifully shot imagery and Cinder this set the bar for immersive interactive touchscreen installations for 2012. I took my team to this exhibit to see it firsthand and left wishing I had worked on it." —juror Madison Wharton Marks
Overview: Commissioned by IBM in honor of its 100th anniversary, with a debut in New York's Lincoln Center in September 2011, THINK was both an exploration of the idea of progress and a high-level expression of IBM's role in the world. Diverse audiences—from scientists and heads of state to school kids and everyday citizens—joined in a larger conversation about how people are making the world work better through innovation. Three distinct experiences—real-time data visualization of New York City systems tracked and mapped on a 128-foot digital wall, a 10-minute film played in an immersive field of 40 digital panels, and interactive modules—formed a multimedia exhibit that helped visitors understand the history of human progress and innovation.
• The exhibit took more than a year to develop and produce. Hurricane Irene forced the installation to be taken down and rebuilt two days before launch.
• The exhibit featured 100 hours of footage captured over 7 countries, 10 streams of videos for a 14-minute immersive film and 1.2 million pixels of data visualization on a 128' x12' wall.
• THINK received more than 25,000 visitors during its 1-month run. IBM polled visitors and fond that more than 70 percent of adults felt inspired to think more about making the world work better.
Comments by Mirada:
What was the most challenging aspect of the project? "Most challenging was seamlessly integrating all three components (the data wall, film and the interactive stations) but equally demanding was creating the exhibit in Lincoln Center, an unusual space for a large-scale interactive exhibit."
What applications were used that you hadn't used before? "The data visualization wall was custom pixel-perfect programmed for this exhibit. The interactive stations were coded from scratch; each was designed for operation using natural movements and supportive of ADA accessibility standards. Infrared sensors were mounted to the front of the plasmas screens and each 85-inch screen transformed into an interactive touch platform with interactive content for visitors to navigate and explore. In essence, they became giant tablet computers."
