Saint Louis Science Center – Harvest to Home Experience Design August 22, 2018

RFP

Interpretive Exhibit Design-Build

for the Saint Louis Science Center
Harvest to Home

Request for Proposals

8/22/2018
Saint Louis Science Center – Harvest to Home Experience Design August 22, 2018
RFP

1 Introduction
The Saint Louis Science Center (SLSC) is currently requesting proposals from creative agencies with
experience and expertise in interpretive exhibition design, development and fabrication. The work
specific to this Request for Proposal (RFP) is for the creation of a new exhibit experience in SLSC’s
agriculture themed GROW exhibition. The exhibit tentatively titled Harvest to Home will focus on the
complex journey of food from the farm all the way to the table.

The Harvest to Home exhibit is planned to be installed in a 750 sq. ft section of the indoor pavilion of
the SLSC’s GROW exhibition. The exhibit is scheduled to open on February 1st, 2019. The creative
agency chosen will be responsible for providing the following services: exhibit design, graphic design,
fabrication and installation of the new exhibit component. The SLSC team will be responsible for the
development of the interpretive plan (including big idea and educational goals), content research and
exhibit text copy.

All requirements in this document are subject to change.

2 Project Overview
Harvest to Home: The Journey of Food

Harvest to Home will engage visitors in the journey of food starting on the farm and move through
a complex network of people, processes, and technology to make it all the way to their home. We
envision the content and experiences in this exhibit to be focused around four key topic areas,
each with unique exhibit experiences:
Harvest – The story of food starts on the farm. In this topic area, the SLSC would like to engage
our visitors with experiences that show what the raw form of our favorite plants looks like on the
farm. We envision this area of the exhibit would have 3D models (digital and physical) of raw
plants grown on the farm where visitors can not only see the top of the plant but also the root of
the plant growing through different soil types.
Food Processing — What's in the food we eat and how is it processed into the form we are
familiar with? Much of the food in our home is processed, even foods we view as being in their
raw form. For this topic area, we envision that visitors will engage with hands-on manipulatives
that demonstrate basic food processing concepts including matching food products visitors find in
their home to the raw form of the food, and processing the raw form of a plant into the familiar
form we find in our home.

Transportation and Food Storage — The food we eat comes from all over the world. This topic
area will address where the food on our table comes from and the types of transportation and
storage that is used to get it to our home. We envision this topic area being covered through an
interactive where visitors can scan a food item that is found in their home and see a video that
tells the story of its journey from the farm including its point of origin, the forms of transportation
used to transport the item, and how it was kept fresh on its journey. The goal of this area is to
highlight how each food found in our home has its own unique journey from the farm to the home.

Market Forces – Farmers and agribusiness need to predict the future to feed the world. In this
topic area, visitors will get to experience the true complexity of the business of growing plants,
understanding how farmers and agribusiness need to predict the future by accounting for
predictable factors (climate, soil, plant cycles) and unpredictable factors (consumer preferences,
weather, pests) to meet consumer demand. We envision this topic being covered through an
engaging game similar to skee ball or corn hole where visitors select a crop and try to gain crop
yield points by rolling/tossing them into different growing factors with both positive and negative
outcomes.
Design Inspiration

SLSC is expecting the final experience to incorporate several participatory experiences that provide
group and play-based learning engagement strategies through an integrated mix of physical and
digital interactions. Final design should seamlessly match the look and feel of the GROW exhibit
(https://www.slsc.org/exhibits-attractions/grow/).
 Saint Louis Science Center – Harvest to Home Experience Design August 22, 2018
RFP

GROW Pavilion, east wall and south facing entrance/ exit. East wall and surrounding area is the intended exhibit
location.

GROW Pavilion, north facing entrance /exit. East wall on right and surrounding area is the intended exhibit
location.
Saint Louis Science Center – Harvest to Home Experience Design August 22, 2018
RFP

3 Services to be Rendered

Under the direction of SLSC, the creative agency will collaborate with SLSC team members to lead
the 3D and 2D design-build for the Harvest to Home interactive exhibit in the GROW pavilion. SLSC
understands exhibition design as three-dimensional design for didactic, interactive and immersive
exhibit experiences. SLSC understands graphic design as two-dimensional design for text,
information graphics, super graphics and other environmental graphics to accompany the didactic,
interactive and immersive experiences. SLSC understands build as physical fabrication of visitor
manipulated interactive exhibit components; each exhibit component must include the necessary
mechanical and electrical components to activate the experience.

Planning and Meetings

• On-site, kick-off meeting.

o Afternoon: Meet with project core team to discuss content focus; target audience needs;
stakeholder expectations; and project, education and experience goals. Review project
scope, schedule and budget to confirm expectations and alignment.
o Participate in brainstorming session with project core team. Goals of the session include
development of preliminary exhibit ideas and concept layout.
• (2) Schematic design presentations via conference call.
• (1) Prototype development review via conference call.
• (2) Design Development presentations via conference call.
• (2) Graphic Design reviews (first iteration and final approval of all graphics) via conference call.

Design-Build Deliverables

• 50% Schematic design presentation with two sketched ideas for each interactive/content
topic.
• Fabrication of exhibit prototype to be used during visitor testing.
• 100% schematic design presentation of final sketched idea for each interactive/content topic.
• 50% Design development package.
• 100% Design development package.
• 50% Graphic design package.
• 100% Graphic design package.
• Detail drawing set for SLSC to approve and sign-off prior to fabrication.
• Installation plan showing how exhibit interfaces with space and attaches to building for
SLSC to approve and sign off before install begins.
• Graphic bid production package with up to two (2) revisions.
• Production files for all graphics with up to three (3) revisions.

Other Expectations

• Submit timeline and project plan for all deliverables and review, including fabrication phase.
• Edit and thoroughly proof experience and graphic designs based on comments from the SLSC
core team.
• Provide digital presentation files to SLSC to document the design process and for SLSC's
extended use.
• Prototyping of exhibit components with SLSC audience or public representative of SLSC
audience to ensure functionality, usability and educational goals are met through the
interactive. One iteration of prototype fabricated on approved schematic design sketches
and report with recommendations.
• Additional alternative (2) Management of graphic production.
Saint Louis Science Center – Harvest to Home Experience Design August 22, 2018
RFP

SLSC will complete the following tasks, and/or provide the following deliverables.
• Audience evaluation data and analysis of user profiles.
• Development of Interpretive Plan.
• Development of exhibit text copy.

SLSC will NOT be responsible for the following tasks, and/or provide the following deliverables.
• Interpretive exhibit design.
• Management of exhibit production.
• Fabrication of exhibit components.
• Installation of exhibit components.

4 Project Timeline

DATE ACTIVITY
August 22, 2018 RFP released
August 22-29, 2018 Inquiry period
August 31, 2018 Answers to inquiries released
September 7, 2018 Proposals due at 10am CST
September 14, 2018 Design firm selected
GROW Interpretive plan sent to firm
Week of September 24th Kick-off with selected design firm.
Exhibit Interpretive plan and content outline due by SLSC
October 8, 2018 50% Schematic design presentation
October 26, 2018 Prototype build completed
October 27-November 25, 2018 Evaluation/ visitor testing
December 3rd, 2018 Evaluation report and recommendations
December 17th, 2018 100% Schematic design presentation
January 2nd, 2019 50% Design development presentation
Exhibit script due by SLSC
January 14, 2019 100% Design development presentation
50% Graphic design presentation
January 15- February 15, 2019 Exhibit fabrication phase
January 22, 2019 100% Graphic design presentation
February 18-22, 2019 Exhibit installation on-site
February 23-28, 2019 Soft opening
March 1, 2019 Expected experience opening date
Saint Louis Science Center – Harvest to Home Experience Design August 22, 2018
RFP

5 Submission Requirements
Questions addressing any sections of this proposal should be addressed to Dave Francis, Project
Manager at dave.francis@slsc.org.

Proposal for services are due to SLSC by 10am CST on September 7th, 2018. Proposals are to be
submitted by e-mail to Dave Francis, Project Manager at dave.francis@slsc.org

Proposals should include the following:

• Summary of firm background and competencies.
• Proposed project team members.
• Three (3) recent case studies of similar projects with services listed.
• Detailed scope of services outlined by area.
o Project planning.
o Schematic
o Prototyping
o Design development
o Graphic design
o Management of graphic production (Alternative)
o Exhibit fabrication and installation

• Schedule for services.

• Line-item fees for services.
• Three (3) professional references.
• Project workload during proposed project design schedule.

6 Contact Information

Dave Francis
Director of Exhibits
314-289-4443
dave.francis@slsc.org