Our client at the Intel Museum asked us to design an exhibit that explains 5G technology in a manner that appeals to schoolchildren from grades K-12 as their primary audience. I wanted to craft an experience that would catch the eye from across the room to encourage interaction, and then captivate viewers with a dynamic experience that makes the educational aspect seamless, easy, and fun. In a word, I wanted our visitors to push that big, green glowing button as many times as possible and love every second of it.

I felt that the concept of a marble run was the perfect metaphor to demonstrate the advancements in 5G technology compared to 4G. 5G is faster, more efficient, and supports concurrent packets of data moving simultaneously through the network.

The marble run allows viewers to “race” a packet of data along a single, slower, 4G network “track” against multiple packets of data traveling along the concurrent 5G data “tracks.” As the balls race along the track, chapters of the story appear in the center portal, integrating the educational aspect into the experience.

Finally, the digital displays in the background are synchronized with the paths of the physical marbles to illuminate them with animated effects that reflect the qualities of the respective networks; 4G is more viscous and slow, while the 5G effects are very crisp, discrete, and lively.