The Gut Detective
Overview
Turning gut health into hands-on science
Vitensenteret in Trondheim
feb - june 2026
Exhibition
concept development
Research
Storytelling
Prototyping
Designed for children aged 8–12, this interactive science exhibition invites visitors to step into the role of gut detectives and explore the hidden world inside the digestive system. Through five tactile and digital installations, children investigate how food, gut bacteria and everyday habits influence gut health.
Through touch, movement, optical illusions and digital feedback, the exhibition makes complex health information tangible and invites children to explore the topic actively. It was installed at Trondheim Science Center for four months, receiving positive feedback and requiring remarkably little maintenance despite frequent use.
My role
I independently developed the exhibition concept, storyline and five interactive installations. I followed the project from medical research and early sketches through prototyping, user testing, fabrication and final installation at Trondheim Science Center. My main design challenge was to turn complex and invisible processes inside the body into physical interactions that children could explore and understand.
Throughout the process, I consulted medical specialists, teachers, exhibition designers and science centre staff to ensure that the content was accurate, age-appropriate and meaningful for the target audience. I was responsible for translating their insights into one coherent visitor experience.
Spatial Planning and Visitor Flow
Using a 1:10 scale model, I explored how the five installations would relate to one another, identified potential focal points and tested different layouts. This helped me arrange the installations so that the spatial experience supported both the storyline and a natural visitor flow.
On-site user testing showed which installations naturally attracted attention, where groups gathered and where introductions were needed. It also highlighted that the exhibition must support both children who follow the storyline and those who prefer open-ended, tactile exploration. This balance would be an important focus in further development.
Some BTS from user testing
