Food Museum

Museums and heritage

We worked alongside the Museum of East Anglian Life to deliver an ambitious project to help them transform into a centre dedication to food.

Insights

The National Food Museum will take visitors on a food journey; from field to fork. Through exploring the Suffolk based museum visitors will have the chance to “Grow”, “Make” and “Eat” the food that ends up on their plates at home. The aim is that people understand where their food comes from, and leave wanting to make a positive change to their eating habits. We started the project by carrying out a Guest Experience Site Audit. The audit scored the key touchpoints of the museum’s experience. To better inform investment decisions, we reported back on the pros and cons of the whole museum experience too, to help prioritise quick wins. We also measured the guest’s emotional response at each touchpoint.

Story

One of the key developments of the new brand identity was the strapline, ‘Grow – Make – Eat’. As well as providing an idea of what guests can expect at the new museum, it also provides three clear categories that the museum can use to zone their many exhibitions. We also created a new museum narrative (interpretation strategy), designed to help the museum curate the best experience, and for guests to understand the importance and impact that food has on the natural environment.

Concept design

To support the museum’s funding and future planning applications, we created concepts to showcase the vision to stakeholders. The courtyard entrance is a drastically different experience, compared to the original ticketing booth. We wanted to show the museum’s idea of having a ‘free’ area where guests can enjoy the local brewery and bakery, before moving onto the museum entrance.

Utilising the new brand and colour palette, we remodelled the reception area to provide a more welcoming and interactive experience. We also included a nod to a new retail space that will stock museum branded products, generating an additional revenue stream.

Design development

A crucial part of the future museum experience is the ability for guests to leave with a new outlook on food. As a result, we created a concept that transformed their obstructive oak tree into an asset by turning it into a ‘pledge garden’. Guests will be able to make a ‘pledge’ on their eating habits before they leave the museum, by writing it on seeded paper.

We also worked on exhibition ideas and interactive display ideas to make the museum an even better place to visit in the future. From futuristic bio-pods to dressing up as a farmer, we injected ideas that will excite and educate guests.