Garden Guardian's
Garden Guardians is an interactive exhibit created for the Oak Grove Butterfly Festival to raise awareness about how invasive plants are harming Tennessee’s native butterfly populations. Our team designed a full visitor experience: from promotional posters and flags that lead people to the booth, to an archway with butterfly pamphlets, an educational matching activity inside the exhibit, and a banner with a QR code linking to our mobile app for deeper learning. The exhibit ends with take-home items like stickers, pins, and native wildflower seed packs, giving visitors simple ways to support pollinators in their own backyards.
Research & Inspiration
We studied pollinator behavior, local plant species, and community garden programs. We also collected visual references for kid-friendly design, colors, and layout inspiration.
Ideation & Concepting
We brainstormed interactive experiences that would make learning about pollinators fun and memorable. Additionally, we explored visual themes for cohesion across physical and digital touchpoints (posters, flags, app, and pamphlets). Finally, we sketched multiple floor plan ideas to test visitor movement, sightlines, and focal points for key displays.
Design & Prototyping
We developed a detailed floor plan to ensure clear visitor flow, highlight key exhibits, and maximize engagement opportunities. We also created poster designs emphasizing hierarchy of information, playful typography, and illustrated elements to appeal to all ages. Additionally, we designed flags for visual wayfinding, incorporating color-coded zones and thematic imagery to guide visitors naturally.
Finalization & Mockups
For the final stage, our group focused on building polished mockups that showed how the posters, flags, and floor plan would function in the actual exhibit space. We placed each piece into realistic environments: like wall-mounted displays, outdoor banner setups, and walkthrough views to show scale and context. Once everything was in place, we adjusted color, contrast, and proportions so the designs felt natural and cohesive. The mockups helped communicate the full visitor experience and made the final presentation feel grounded and practical.
