The Temple of Invention for the Smithsonian Museum

The Temple of Invention was a limited Augmented Reality experience developed for the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. Visitors were taken through key moments in the museum’s history, experiencing significant events through the lens of AR. These included periods when soldiers were stationed in the museum during the American Civil War, as well as the aftermath of a fire that destroyed part of the building. Along the way, visitors could also encounter inventors from different periods of history, many of whose original patents are still housed within the museum.

To give the experience a distinctive visual identity, we explored the idea of presenting the characters and environments as a paper theatre brought to life through AR. This approach encouraged visitors to use their imagination to fill in the gaps, while giving us the freedom to manipulate environments and characters in ways that would not have been possible with a more realistic visual style. The paper aesthetic also reflected the history of invention itself, drawing a connection to the sketches, diagrams and patents that began as ideas on paper.

As a Concept Artist, my role was to help establish and develop this visual language. I designed characters inspired by paper cut-outs and Victorian etching, explored potential interactions, and developed storyboards to communicate how the experience could unfold.

The work presented here covers several stages of development, demonstrating how I approach creative problems, explore ideas and develop solutions that support both the visual direction and the user experience. A key part of my approach is recognising that less can sometimes be more. Rather than defining every detail, leaving intentional gaps allows the audience to contribute their own imagination, making the experience more personal and engaging.

Although the experience is no longer publicly available, The Temple of Invention remains a project I am particularly proud of. It was an exciting opportunity to explore how far a simple paper-cut aesthetic could be pushed, while using AR to transform it into something dynamic, playful and immersive.