We Need to Bring Field Trips Back

I don’t remember the last time I actually went to a museum. Or better yet, the last time I went on a field trip. As a 22-year-old college graduate working on her masters, I figured my field trip days were over.

However, I got to spend a majority of my Halloween at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and it was surprisingly awesome. I woke up extra early to make the commute to Denver and dreaded sitting through the traffic. Once at the museum, I wasn’t too sure how this place full of exhibits and children would be pertinent to my degree in interaction design. When I think of jobs that I could have when I graduate, I almost always think of fancy tech companies and futuristic digital businesses. I forget that the field of design is everywhere and everyone needs designers to help them. My day at the museum helped me remember this. Seeing exhibits that have been around for years was amazing. It’s not everyday that your work is on exhibit for a decade. The designers at the museum were more than just museum aides. They were passionate and excited about their jobs and the opportunities it gave them to teach the museums patrons about the world we live in. Even when they were describing the parking garage redesign you could see the effort and care put into the style guide. For me, it was refreshing. I forget that design is important in so many aspects and on so many levels. Interaction design isn’t only about building the newest and coolest apps. It’s simply the design of interaction between people and a product. That product could be anything and my trip to the museum reminded me of that. My degree can take me anywhere and is preparing me for any job that might come my way. I never considered museum work as something I would be interested in but once we got to explore, I saw more and more of what I do interwoven into the exhibits.

Near the end of our trip, I got to spend a good amount of time talking with one of the employees about the brain. We talked for at least 20 minutes and he shared with me so much information, I actually left with a newfound interest in how the brain works and how design can change the waves and function of it. Something that made my interaction with this employee memorable was his passion. When he started speaking about the brain and all of its amazing powers you could see that he was truly happy and could do that all day. I just hope that in whatever field I end up in, I capn be as happy and exuberant about it as that man and his display brain. 😊