Take Flight!
TSA Exhibit for Explore More Discovery Museum
Gamifying a confusing, rule-laden mandatory process into a clear, playful, and durable learning experience made to withstand years of hands-on exploration.
In Spring of 2026, we partnered with the Shenandoah Valley Airport and the TSA to rethink one of the most universally recognizable, least loved parts of travel: the security checkpoint.
TSA is something everyone has to move through, but almost no one enjoys. For kids especially, it can feel confusing, restrictive, and full of arbitrary rules. The opportunity was to transform that moment into something understandable, playful, and approachable without losing its real-world structure.
Our role was to design an exhibit experience that gamified a highly procedural system into something children can engage with on their conceptual (and eye) level. That meant simplifying visual language, reducing friction in how instructions are read, and designing every surface with durability in mind. Clean lines, simple graphics, and intuitive sequencing guide kids through what to do next, while every interaction is scaled specifically for younger users so nothing feels out of reach or overwhelming.
Exhibits for kids are a different kind of design challenge entirely. They’re the toughest audience you can build for. Everything will be stress-tested multiple times a day, seven days a week. Materials had to be resilient without feeling heavy, and forms had to be elegant without sacrificing strength.
Our solution is sturdy and engaging, turning a frustrating real-world process into something kids can understand on their own terms.
