MARIENT MUSEUM
A mock environmental design project focused on the Marient, a fishery museum located in the city of Hachinohe, Japan.
RESEARCH
OUR MISSION:
The Hachinohe City Marine Science Museum, or the Marient, is a cultural establishment created to showcase the wonder and allure of the sea from Hachinohe. Known as Japan’s Northern Frontier, Hachinohe is one of Japan’s prominent fishery cities.
SITE VISIT
THE OUTSIDE:
The outside sign of the museum is heavily faded due to the humid environment. This outside sign is hidden away, unable to be seen by anyone passing by.
The sidewalk leading up to the museum has banners, but are not used to advertise the museum itself.
THE INSIDE:
Buying tickets utilizes an old ticketing system. Different tickets are for different floors and can be confusing. A worker had to assist us due to some confusion.
The map is decent and easy to follow, but the inclusion of English on all products could possibly grow the museum’s audience due to it’s location.
PROCESS
The city of Hachinohe has official mascots, the Ikazukinzu. These characters csan be seen throughout the city. They are a family of black-tailed gulls, each wearing a squid-shaped hood. Seen in only one location of the museum, I utilized their concept and design to tie all the museum’s elements together.
COLOR PALETTE:
The main color palette was inspired by the museum’s official logo, along with in between shades of blue reminiscent of the ocean.
TYPEFACE:
Junegull was chosen for its rounded, friendly, and welcoming appearance. Although rounded and friendly, the technical side of its appearance blends well with the use of the Japanese language. Noto Sans JP covers all three alphabets of Japanese and English, so its versatility and legibility both lead to it being a good choice for this project.
SKETCHES
To enhance the overall environment design of the museum, I decided to tackle the following items: outdoor banners, a monument sign, the ticketing kiosk, and wayfinding elements such as floor signs, overhead signs, and floor maps.
TICKETING KIOSKS:
OVERHEAD & FLOOR SIGNS:
MONUMENT SIGN:
OUTDOOR BANNERS:
OUTDOOR BANNERS
MONUMENT SIGN
For the monument sign, I wanted to create a space that was not only informative but also a possible photo opportunity for visitors. I believe this will not only enhance museum entrance visibility but also attract new visitors - young and old - through the power of social media.
The design featured the father figure of the Ikakuzinzu. Not only would his size be the best fit for the design, but the color palette worked the best too. The hood paired well with the blue of the sign; while the bright yellow and green features helps draw attention.
1” = 1’ (1:12 scale)
TICKETING KIOSK
KIOSK ENCLOSURE - High Density Polyethylene, scratch resistance
HARDWARE - Touch screen, digital display, thermal printing, audio jack
ADA COMPLIANCE - Touch screen points less than 48 in, modification option, unobstructed screen
The touch screen kiosk displays in both Japanese and English. Additionally, the new kiosk will accept both card and yen, allowing different forms of payments.
WAYFINDING ELEMENTS
FLOOR MAP:
FLOOR & OVERHEAD SIGNS :
Since the museum skips the second floor, it can be slightly confusing for visitors. To remedy this confusion, the floors along with their amenities are clearly listed. Both languages are utilized, and universal imagery is used for important aspects.
