Kelsey Stellar (née Lind) “loves the idea of thinking in that third dimension – designing in the space of people’s experiences” for both the cultural and healthcare sectors here at Metcalfe.
As a graduate of Lehigh University in Graphic and Product design, design for the 30-year-old doesn’t just involve creating graphics and pretty pictures, it’s more about understanding what people are interested in and giving them the necessary tools to interact with the content in different ways.
“In a museum setting, it’s important to give the visitor creative and interesting visuals, but also dimensional experiences for them to interact with to learn the content,” she said. “It’s the best of both worlds and appeals to multiple learning styles.”
Guinness Storehouse | Dublin, Ireland
Kelsey’s love for museums began during her study abroad experience in Ireland when she toured the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. The exhibit began on the ground floor with a thoroughly immersive experience capturing the history of the company and brewing practices concluding in a breathtaking panoramic view of Dublin.
“The whole interactive experience was exciting,” she said. “Capturing the immersive quality of a Disney park, but interlaced with really interesting content – it was a new way to learn that I had not experienced yet.”
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Buerger Center | Philadelphia, PA
Her first few projects at Metcalfe involved designing interactive play spaces at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It was really interesting because there were many different design considerations required for this visitor population. Things I wouldn’t have thought of with an exhibit which in turn, informed, and evolved the way that I look at everything I design.”
Healthcare facilities really place cleanability at the forefront to create safe experiences for their patients. “We created interactive elements within pod-like areas,” she said, “which allowed the parents of the visitors and patients the opportunity to engage and distract, or observe from the waiting area.”
There’s an emotional and rewarding aspect to the work, “seeing children who need playful relief interact with the pieces is really wonderful,” she said. “Hospital spaces don’t need to feel sterile to be sterile. There can be an element of fun to them.”
Independence Visitor Center | Philadelphia, PA
An exhibit for the National Park Service in the Independence Visitor Center challenged Kelsey to not only convey information to the visitors, but also provide them with tools to plan their excursion in the Historic Park. This was done by highlighting interactive experiences that visitors would normally see at the park’s many sites, but not always have the ability to interact with. Creating opportunities for visitors to learn about and actually use the same method of printing as Benjamin Franklin, sit in the Rising Sun chair, or touch a replica of the Liberty Bell Crack will give visitors more of a memorable experience when they venture into the park and see the historic objects themselves.
After spending many years in Philadelphia, Kelsey now resides out in the countryside of Pennsylvania with her husband and keeps an eye on “the zoo” of 14 peacocks, 7 guinea hens, 2 roosters, 1 hen, 2 dogs, and 2 cats.
