Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum — Main Exhibit Redesign
18 standalone museum interactives including a 12-foot digital touchtable exploring hundreds of shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast.
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras is named in honor of the thousands of shipwrecks that rest in the waters off North Carolina's coast and is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the state's coastal and shipwreck history. As part of a redesign of their main gallery, we collaborated with the museum, exhibit fabricators and designers, and Argentine Productions to create 18 standalone museum interactives. Through exhaustive research, content development, and complex interactive programming, we brought maritime tales of tragedy and heroism to life across an expansive exhibit exploring the fascinating history of the Outer Banks — an area chillingly known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic."
Entrance Video Wall
A 21-foot video wall at the museum entrance displays live buoy data from the waters off the Outer Banks alongside historic storm data. Visitors get an immediate, real-time sense of conditions at sea — wave heights, water temperatures, wind speeds — while contextualizing those readings against notable hurricanes and weather events that have shaped the region's shipwreck history. The wall sets the stage for the exhibit by connecting present-day ocean conditions to the forces that have claimed hundreds of vessels over the centuries.
Shipwreck Map Touch Table
A 12-foot digital touchtable featuring 110 shipwrecks and almost 700 additional wrecks off the coast. Visitors explore the waters through an interactive map layered with dive footage, archival images, and historical accounts. Curated filters can be applied to the shipwreck database to narrow results by era, vessel type, or cause of loss. Unique interactive tools help visitors filter dense areas of the map — where dozens of wrecks cluster — and a ping animation highlights specific sets of results so visitors can locate and compare related vessels at a glance.
Touchscreen Kiosks & Monitors
Eight touchscreen kiosks featuring 40 shipwrecks or related topics, with 3D models, dive footage, and archival images. Two life-size monitors present actors telling six shipwreck stories pulled from historical accounts. Additional interactive components throughout the exhibit complete the experience.