Federal Reserve, Boston

Boston Federal Reserve: NEEA Generator, Boston, MA, 2011

The Generator is a multi-user interactive installation where visitors explore social and economic narratives relating to Boston and New England. It provides a general overview of economic concepts through real world examples and genuine data. The installation is composed of high definition displays and touchscreens. Ten screens are installed in landscape orientation with eight screens installed above these in portrait orientation. Five of the landscape displays are touch screens, and these screens are the portals through with visitors interact with the Generator content.

The design is primarily built from moving text and image elements, with additional simple graphic elements, such as a grid. The information is designed in a three dimensional “virtual space,” however many elements are presented in a more two dimensional form. There are two stories each sub-divided in to chapters. Each of the five landscape touch screens display a chapter and, as visitors interact with the content in the chapters, the content is reproduced in a larger format above them on the portrait screens.

Visitors are able to peruse the content by selecting from a group of images. Once an image is selected it enlarges and provides the visitor with additional information. Some of the images are non-interactive, others include custom animations and many are custom made interactive charts created by Small Design from real data.

Project Details