Invasion

2023

An interactive exhibition about Himalayan balsam.

Project summary

[[Invasion is an information-design exhibition examining the ecological impact of Himalayan balsam in Europe.]] The project translates complex environmental data into a multi-modal experience, combining static infographics, physical botanical specimens, and a custom-built digital simulation.

Unified by a [[custom typeface designed specifically for the exhibition’s visual identity,]] the installation invites users to explore the plant's exponential spread through both historical context and tactile interaction.

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Information

Jannes Daur

Justine Wiedemann

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Team

Exhibition design

2023

6 Weeks

Role

Concept

Programming

Full Scale Exhibition Structure

Typography

Visual Design

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Problem

For an interactive exhibition on invasive species, Himalayan balsam is highlighted as a rapidly spreading plant disrupting ecosystems across Europe.

Installation

Two posters present the history of Himalayan balsam’s introduction to Europe and its impact in Germany. Translucent panels frame a full-scale pressed plant with illustrations and text explaining its physical traits, complemented by a simulation of its rapid spread.

Assembly

The exhibition content is arranged on an untreated stainless steel tube structure, creating a strong contrast with the balsam in color, material, and form. The layout supports varied information displays that can be viewed from multiple angles and allows the simulation to be projected onto the table.

Empty placeholder image with a light gray background and an icon of a photo in the center.

Simulation

An interactive game built with HTML, JavaScript, and CSS simulates the exponential spread of Himalayan balsam. Users adjust plant numbers and years with a rotary knob, visualizing growth across 120 square meters.

Typeface

We developed a custom display typeface to complement the exhibition’s aesthetic. Its pixelated details reflects the digital design, while the serif structure echo the physical traits of the plants. The font is based on our main text typeface, PP Telefgraf.

Illustrations

To complement the font and emphasize the plant’s details, we developed a distinct illustration style featuring hard edges and a clear, yet playful design.

Reflection

Developing Invasion allowed me to explore visual communication as a form of interaction and practice valuable graphic design skills. Part of this was developing a typeface for the first time. Typography being a personal interest of mine made this project especially rewarding and taught me about working with visual precision, refining details until they felt intentional.

Conceptualizing how people would physically move through the space added an interesting layer of complexity. For example while building the simulation, it was a constant balancing act to keep the interactions accessible while providing enough depth to communicate the core message. Managing the mix of all of these elements really deepened my understanding of how to make every component of a concept work together holistically.