New England Aquarium

I didn’t actually have a chance to go to any of the museums listed this past week since I was out of town from Mar. 18 to Mar.29. My schedule also doesn’t allow me to go any time this week before the class. I figured the best alternative I have is to do this assignment on a place I’m very familiar with. Although I’ve been to the MFA, Musuem of Science, Harvard Museum of Natural History, and Boston Children’s Museum more than once, I have been to the New England Aquarium 5 times in the past five years. I think I’ve seen almost every corner of the aquarium including the the 4D theater. Therefore, I believe it is fair to complete this assignment without going there again. All the pictures in this assignment are chosen from the pictures I took during previous visits.

##Demographics: The aquarium attracts many families especially family with young kids and K-12 school field trips. Though the aquarium also offers private event hosting - for example, MIT 2015 class council had two events there in the past. The aquarium offers a fun and relaxing experience while providing educational values at the same time. These qualities make it very attractive to parents and educators.

##Technology: The aquarium has small boards that introduce the species next to each tank. Visitors often skim the text and not actually read them because they are often long and not interesting to the kids. The lighting is also very dim so it is hard to read things. Making these boards more visible might encourage people to use it more. I think it would also be helpful if the visitors can download an app for the visit and automatically show the information if the visitor scans a QR-code on a display next to the tank.

One example of an interactive display is the sound examples at the penguin section that allows visitors to press buttons and play the sounds of the different penguins. I personally loved pressing them I was there but I didn’t see very many people using it. Younger kids who might benefit more from this feature often can’t see or understand this. Making it more intuitive to younger kids will make is more useful.

##Unexpected/Unintended Uses: There are very few misuses of technologies at the aquarium since there isn’t anything complicated to use.

##Frustrations: One of the biggest issues I experienced during my visits is the visibility inside the aquarium. It is understandable that the lighting needs to be dim for the health of the animals. However, the dim lighting makes it very hard to locate friends or family members if the party is separated. Technology could definitely help here. If each visitor is given a bracelet with a tracker inside and is able to activate tracking of each desired tracker on their smart phones, it will be much easier for parents to find their children or for friends to find each other during the visit.

Main hallway of the aquarium.

##Interior/Exterior: The exterior of the aquarium is very modern and cool looking which can attract people to visit. It is also located near the harbor and is generally a very touristy area.

Visitors can see the seals through some glasses before they even enter the aquarium or when they are waiting outside for the rest of the party. This makes the aquarium more welcoming and intriguing before the visit.

Although the aquarium doesn’t have a lot of technology-based features, it does offer fun interactions for the visitors by having a “petting zone” and animal performances. These features allow the visitors to be more engaged during their visits.

The stingray shallow tank is one of the most popular spot at the aquarium which gives the visitors an opportunity to feel the stingrays as they swim by. It is fun and unique for both the adults and the children.

The rotating hallway around the big tank not only conserved space but also allowed the visitors to have a fun and unique experience.

At the top of the big tank, visitors can see the sea turtles and other animals close up without the glass interference.

Overall, the aquarium welcomes its visitors by having a very fun-infused environment that allows visitors to have a deep engagemnt with the environment.