Royal Australian Mint Factory Viewing Gallery strategic planning, content development, touch screen development, text

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BACKGROUND: The Royal Australian Mint in Canberra invited Roberts to consult on the Factory Viewing Gallery redevelopment after her contribution to the Masterplan in 2012. Roberts' practice-focused enquiry into interpretation design proposes a hybrid role for designers in interpretive contexts that bridges the contested territory between curation, design and writing (2013, 2014). She argues for communicative intent and visitor experience (through cognitive, sensory and kinesthetic modes of engagement) as the foundations for interpretation design. The project builds on the work of den Oudsten, Kossmann and de Jong (2010, 2012) who argue that designer involvement from a project's inception enhances design outcomes.
CONTRIBUTION: Interpretation of industry is rare in Australia and the new Gallery is a unique educational tourism destination that interprets the technology of coin production. Roberts' research contribution includes the development of a schematic of the production process, which serves as a physical and conceptual navigation aid reinforced by cognitive, sensory and spatial cues. The schema extends to the structural design and navigation of the touchscreens that interpret factory views. The capability of the GoPro camera was exploited to capture footage of previously unseen processes. Roberts' contribution in relation to communicating a complex subject in a manner that provides visitors with a cognitive map that overlays their spatial journey is evidence that this hybrid researcher/designer/content developer role is viable and productive.
SIGNIFICANCE: The Gallery is widely recognised by the national tourism industry through the Australian Tourism Awards – the tourism industry’s peak Awards. It has received: Bronze Award, Qantas Australia Tourism Award, 2019; Winner, Cultural Tourism, ACT Tourism Award, 2016, 2018, 2019; Winner, Visitor Experience Award, ACT Tourism Award, 2016, 2018; and Winner, Tourism Visitor Education, ACT Tourism Award, 2016.