Playful Activations
for a Museum
of Language
Local Projects collaborated with philanthropist Ann Friedman to transform the Franklin School—a National Historical Landmark near the White House—into Planet Word, the world's first voice-activated museum of language. Language is often treated as a dry subject, but Planet Word celebrates the joy and power of words. Through ten immersive galleries, visitors use their voices to interact with exhibits while hearing from diverse voices sharing what language means to them.
Voice-activation removes barriers, making the experience feel like a conversation rather than a lesson. In the Magical Library, books narrate themselves, projecting characters and settings into the room. In Word Worlds, visitors "paint" their surroundings with adjectives—watching "surreal" melt the landscape or "vibrant" explode it with color. The experience proves that words are not just tools for communication—they are the building blocks of imagination.
Studio: Local Projects
Team: Jake Barton (Creative Direction), Naomi Seixas, Charlotte Harris (Project Management), Peter Vikar (Physical Design), Nathan Adkisson (Content Strategy), Eric Mika (Creative Technology), Karen Vanderbilt (UX Design)
Role: Identity & Experience Design
Year: 2018
Voice-activation removes barriers, making the experience feel like a conversation rather than a lesson. In the Magical Library, books narrate themselves, projecting characters and settings into the room. In Word Worlds, visitors "paint" their surroundings with adjectives—watching "surreal" melt the landscape or "vibrant" explode it with color. The experience proves that words are not just tools for communication—they are the building blocks of imagination.
Studio: Local Projects
Team: Jake Barton (Creative Direction), Naomi Seixas, Charlotte Harris (Project Management), Peter Vikar (Physical Design), Nathan Adkisson (Content Strategy), Eric Mika (Creative Technology), Karen Vanderbilt (UX Design)
Role: Identity & Experience Design
Year: 2018