Immersive Exhibition - Discovery Dock
The Discovery Dock is a completely new type of immersive, permanent exhibition at the Port of Hamburg. It uses innovative technologies to take visitors from all over the world to those areas of the port they wouldn’t normally have access to – in a way they won’t easily forget. Developing not just a forward thinking business model, but a unique live experience.
Impact
The Discovery Dock opened to the general public at the heart of Hamburg’s Hafencity in 2019. Demonstrating not only the potential for new technologies, but their potential to unlock whole new future-thinking revenue streams.
Recommendation rate by visitors: 95%
Rated 4,5 stars on Tripadvisor & Google
Media buzz in newspapers & TV news (including BILD, Welt, NDR News, SAT 1)
Client
DuMont Media Group
My role
Research, User Interviews, Product Owner and UX Lead for four Main Stations, Wireframes, User Flows, Storytelling, Exhibition Flow, Usability Testing Lead
Duration
August 2018 - April 2019
Awards
Art Directors Club Europe: 2x Gold, 2x Silver, 1x Bronze
Deutscher Digital Award: Best-of-Award, 2x Gold
Annual Multimedia: 1x Gold
Lovie Awards: 1x Silver
Deutsche Design Club: 1x Gold
FWA of the Day
Eurobest: Shortlist
Press & Media
BVDW, Deutscher Digital Award, WELT online, WELT print, W&V , Focus online, SAT.1, BILD, BILD online, Hamburg.de, TURN ON, NDR Hamburg, meedia, Horizont, Hamburger Abendblatt, t-online, ntv, MOPO, MOPO print, Fink Hamburg, Cube Magazin, Horizont, IT Zoom, Stuttgarter Nachrichten, MOPO, Hafen Hamburg
Developing a New Business Model
Germany’s largest publisher and media group DuMont wanted to develop a new business model. Their objective: Reaching new target groups with an interactive, future-oriented permanent exhibition that brings the Port of Hamburg to life using the latest technologies.
The Challenge
Hamburg’s Port is one of the cities most beloved tourist attractions, yet its inner workings are inaccessible to the public. Our mission was to change that.
Research & Content Mapping
Based on the defined target groups, I conducted interviews with potential visitors to gather deeper insights. The results were then clustered, and key take-aways were identified to inform the UX strategy of the exhibition. The next step involved developing an overarching storyline for the experience.
The UX team conducted extensive research into the inner workings of the port, which led to the central theme:
‘The Unseen Perspectives of Hamburg’s Port.’
Defining the Installations
We defined individual installations that supported the creative theme and story. As a UX Designer and Product Owner I was responsible for 4 installations and the user testing prior to the opening of the exhibition. I collaborated closely with designers, developers and 3D-artists on prototypes to get a proof of concept, working iteratively to realize our vision.
Station 1: Transition Room
An Immersive Deep-Dive
Into the Port
An audiovisual installation, choreographed over eight giant screens and a 3D-audio dome teases the different facets of the port, and the seven thematic areas covered in the main room of the exhibition. A laser and haze installation lets users dive into a new world.
Emotional Onboarding
The goal was to create a space that welcomes visitors in and guides them gradually from the familiar world into the unseen world of the Port of Hamburg.
I developed a detailed user flow including room states and transitions that streamlined the visitor journey and helped the team choreograph the exhibition’s pacing, space and equipment set up.
Evolving concepts for the Transition Room, captured across different stages of the UX process.
Station 2: Customs Check
Search for Smuggled Goods in an Interactive Customs Check
Custom 3D-printed motion tracked torches make it possible for visitors to search for smuggled goods in life-sized original container X-rays from Hamburg Customs.
These images, containing everything from illegal substances to stuffed animals, appeared hidden in projection-mapped containers. By scanning the surface with the torch, visitors have “X-ray vision” to find the goods themselves.
Research, Interviews &
User Flows
I collaborated with Hamburg’s customs office to conduct interviews and gain deeper insight into their work. With access to real X-rays provided by the customs team, I curated a selection of the most compelling and entertaining examples for users to explore.
Next, I defined the user flow and interaction states for the installation, designing an intuitive multi-user hop-on/hop-off experience. Based on insights from the interviews, I developed content bites that dynamically unlocked as users uncovered smuggled goods.
Evolving concepts for the Transition Room, captured across different stages of the UX process.
Station 3: Docks
A Mixed Reality
Dock Experience
At this station we let visitors virtually step into a basket lift and explore one of Europe’s largest dry docks, where a ship is being repaired. Using a custom fabricated cage with haptic controls, a powerful bass shaker and a 3D VR replica, we made the lift feel as if its truly moving through the dock and around the ship.
Real Life Research
Kicking off this station, I had the opportunity to visit Hamburg’s famous ‘Dock Elbe 17’ to understand its scale and capture reference photography, which we later used to reconstruct the dock in 3D via photogrammetry.
I began with in-depth content research to identify particularly striking perspectives that both conveyed the immense size of the dock and invited users to explore it in an engaging way.
Pushing Immersiveness
to the Next Level
I developed the VR POV navigation solution using a custom-built basket lift with joystick-based controls, providing precise movement and tactile haptic feedback. A synchronized bass shaker system translated interaction data into physical vibrations, enhancing spatial realism and reinforcing user presence within the VR simulation.
To ensure guidance and provide relevant information, I decided to have a dock worker audio guide the users through the experience. This storytelling approach allowed me to combine the user onboarding with facts about the dock, while also giving insights to the daily work of a dock worker.
Evolving concept stages for custom fabricated platforms.
Station 4: Immersive Container Terminal
Following a container on
its journey
With its fully automated processes, the Container Terminal ‘Altenwerder’ is one of the most modern and efficient terminals in the world.
In an interactive tunnel, visitors can send a container on a journey through Hamburg’s fully automated terminal. Following it on its path from a ship, over the container storage area to you.
Each phase was specially designed to make the processes as tangible as possible – with the simple touch of the finger. A unique storytelling approach brought to life with 3D graphics, interactive light installations, and original terminal audio recordings.
Diving Into the Process of the
Automated Container Terminal
Visitors navigate the terminal’s phases through an interactive tunnel, with 3D graphics, dynamic light installations, and LED indicators guiding their journey. Original sound recordings accompany each phase, providing multi-sensory feedback and enabling users to explore the terminal’s processes in an engaging, immersive way.
Pre-Opening User Testing
Leading the exhibition’s testing process, I created three testing phases and captured
feedback on both the overall experience and each station.
Phase 1: QA-Testing
In the first testing phase I worked with QA testers to ensure the technical functionality of the station installations. I iterated with the project teams to solve technical bugs.
Phase 2: Guided Testing
In the second phase I worked with guided testing groups to ensure the usability of each station.
Feedback was gathered to identify pain points and iterate with the teams to implement necessary optimizations.
Phase 3: Unguided Testing
For the last testing phase I worked with unguided testing groups to experience the exhibition without external intervention. The team collected observations and user feedback to determine if prior implemented optimizations have solved known issues.
Final polishings where made to ensure the exhibition is ready for opening.
The Final Experience
The final result is an exhibition experience ranging from an immersive audiovisual installation, to 4K projection mapping of real-time port data on a huge 3D port model. On seven further stations, groups can deepen their knowledge of industry, nature and business engaging with mixed and virtual reality experiences and interactive installations.
What visitors say…
“A future-concept for a modern
digital experience.”– Peter Tschentscher, Mayor of Hamburg
“Breathtakingly futuristic!”– Zeronius Suinorez, Local Guide Tripadvisor
“Unbelievable whats possible with modern technology today.”– Frank Nielsen, Local Tourist Guide
Awards
Art Directors Club – 2x Gold
Art Directors Club – 2x Silver
Art Directors Club – 1x Bronze
Deutscher Digital Award – Best-of-Award
Deutscher Digital Award – 2x Gold
Annual Multimedia – 1x Gold
Lovie Awards – 1x Silver
Deutsche Design Club - 1x Gold
FWA of the Day
Eurobest - Shortlist