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Taruna
An interactive experience created to educate nz visitors about the signifICance and meaning behind māori symbols and designs used in ta moko.
industry:
education
category:
solo academic
my roles:
research
prototyping
user testing
illustration
animation
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PROBLEM:
new zealand visitors often want to learn about māori history and customs. māori traditionally learnt through immersive environments, which haVE become less common in today's cultural education.
how can we use the traditional immersive way of māori learning to educate our new zealand visitors on the meaning behind tā moko symbols and designs?
how can we use the traditional immersive way of māori learning to educate our new zealand visitors on the meaning behind tā moko symbols and designs?
approach:
i chose to create an installation that projects moving māori symbols onto the viewer's body. at the same time, they can look into a mirror to see what is being projected onto them, whilE the mirror has a screen integrated into it that breaks down the meaning behind each symbol being shown on the body.
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projected design
the design was based on a stingray. this represents strength, courage, and protection. the three key symbols used throughout stingray design were niho, koru, and mangopare. These reinforced the idea of strength, growth, and protection. all of these designs were chosen specifically to make the viewer feel welcomed into the culture.
mirror display
a mirror was created with semi-transparent acrylic pane to show a digital screen behind it. this way the user could see themselves with the projection, and understand what each symbol represented. Each of the symbols were broken down into three key points and had a visual to match the ones in the projected design.
installation location
the installation would be found in a shipping container in wynyard quarter. this is a common place for tourists to visit in auckland and events are commonly hosted here, thus bringing in more visitors.
