The Notebooks of Humphry Davy: Inspiring Frankenstein
Serving...
The Davy Notebooks project, funded by a £1 million grant from the UKRI’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Key stakeholders include Lancaster University, UCL, and the Royal Institution.
The goal
To design an accessible exhibition showcasing nineteenth-century chemist Humphry Davy’s original notebooks. To tell the story of Davy’s unique integration of the arts and sciences.
On display at Wordsworth Grasmere until March 2024. It was displayed at the Royal Institution from September to November 2023.
The Davy Notebooks project, funded by a £1 million grant from the UKRI’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Key stakeholders include Lancaster University, UCL, and the Royal Institution.
The goal
To design an accessible exhibition showcasing nineteenth-century chemist Humphry Davy’s original notebooks. To tell the story of Davy’s unique integration of the arts and sciences.
On display at Wordsworth Grasmere until March 2024. It was displayed at the Royal Institution from September to November 2023.
What I did
I designed graphics for a traveling exhibition with the above title.
I also led the re-writing/re-storying process of the original academic-oriented writing for the displays. I condensed the text by 75%, making the content more engaging and accessible to underserved populations.
Through this process, I also tackled complex but important issues like “scientific” racism —the first public project ever to do so at the Royal Institution.
How I did it
For both the design and writing, I followed the accessible and inclusive exhibition design principles outlined by the Smithsonian Institution.
For exhibitions, I learned that accessible design is the top priority. I kept things as clean and simple as possible.
I designed graphics for a traveling exhibition with the above title.
I also led the re-writing/re-storying process of the original academic-oriented writing for the displays. I condensed the text by 75%, making the content more engaging and accessible to underserved populations.
Through this process, I also tackled complex but important issues like “scientific” racism —the first public project ever to do so at the Royal Institution.
How I did it
For both the design and writing, I followed the accessible and inclusive exhibition design principles outlined by the Smithsonian Institution.
For exhibitions, I learned that accessible design is the top priority. I kept things as clean and simple as possible.
Tools
Figma, Adobe Indesign, Illustrator
Timing
2.5 months
On display at the Royal Institution, Northumberland and Wordsworth Grasmere in 2023-24 as a traveling exhibition.
Support
Figma, Adobe Indesign, Illustrator
Timing
2.5 months
On display at the Royal Institution, Northumberland and Wordsworth Grasmere in 2023-24 as a traveling exhibition.
Support
- Copywriting fact-checking and proofreading by Frank James, UCL Professor of History of Science, and Shreya, my fellow intern
Select Displays
︎ Notes on Design
- The neon green dog-eared pages are a minimalistic nod to the notebook theme. It adds just the right touch of design, without being overbearing.
- The title font is Josephin Sans. The off-kilter “e” introduces a playful and welcoming tone, while still being a fully legible font. For body text, I bolded a clean serif font for maximum legibility.
- I chose to juxtapose the colours of neon green against a rich black to invoke Frankenstein and a Victorian Gothic tone, the art and culture of which Davy played a part in inspiring with his chemical experiments.
- I added "post-it note" (square) boards throughout the exhibition to highlight stand-out quotes to make the viewer feel closer to Davy as a human being.
Exhibit @ The Royal Institution — London, UK (Sept-Nov 2023)
Exhibit @ Wordsworth Grasmere: Wordsworth Museum — Lake District, UK (Jan-Mar 2024)
End of Project 01
Exhibition Design, Large-Scale Print, Spatial
︎Frankenstein Exhibition
Conceptual Design, Print, Spatial
︎Universal Music Concert Poster
Print, Brand Identity, Copywriting
︎ Student Diary & Survival Guide
Conceptual Design, Print, Digital, Brand Identity
︎ Happy Holidays Card
UI/UX Design, Brand Identity