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





About
Me


I am a creative director working across brand strategy, identity, and experience. Formerly at Bruce Mau Design, Local Projects, and 2x4 — now working independently across culture and commerce.

Co-founder of speaklow, a curated gallery in a historic Brooklyn brownstone featured in T: The New York Times Style Magazine.

Saigon — New York






What
I do


Strategy — I define what a brand stands for by surfacing its core tensions and building the frameworks that sustain it.

Identity — I translate the strategy into visual systems, rigorous in structure, nuanced in feeling, and refined through craft.

Experience — I extend the identity into physical space, shaping how the brand looks and feels across every surface and atmosphere.






Get
in touch


Available for select commissions and collaborations — a direct creative partner to founders and leaders, from first conversation through final delivery. If what you're building demands
both craft and clarity, I'd love to hear about it.

duyphamk@gmail.com



About Me


I am a creative director working across brand strategy, identity, and experience. Formerly at Bruce Mau Design, Local Projects, and 2x4 — now working independently across culture and commerce.

Co-founder of speaklow, a curated gallery in a historic Brooklyn brownstone featured in T: The New York Times Style Magazine.

Saigon — New York


What I do


Strategy — I define what a brand stands for by surfacing its core tensions and building the frameworks that sustain it.

Identity — I translate the strategy into visual systems, rigorous in structure, nuanced in feeling, and refined through craft.

Experience — I extend the identity into physical space, shaping how a brand is felt across every surface and atmosphere.


Get in touch


Available for select commissions and collaborations — a direct creative partner to founders and leaders, from first conversation through final delivery. If what you're building demands
both craft and clarity, I'd love to hear about it.

duyphamk@gmail.com