Play, Process, and Practical Design at ATALM 2025
This year’s Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) conference was a celebration of creativity, culture, and collaboration — and Atomic Carrots was thrilled to be part of it! I (Nora Pinell-Hernandez, Founding Creative Director of Atomic Carrots) had the honor of leading two sessions designed to empower museum professionals, educators, and fabricators with practical tools to bring their cultural stories to life through design and play.
🪶 Session 1: Push, Pull, Play — Cultural Education Techniques
Push, Pull, Play_ Cultural Educ…
Play isn’t just child’s work — it’s how we connect, remember, and make meaning. In this session, I explored how playful interactives can deepen visitor engagement by merging storytelling and mechanics.
We dove into examples like EchoSlate, a touch-activated sound sensor system that allows visitors to explore stories, languages, and sounds without traditional push buttons. With its flat, cleanable surface and flexible programming, EchoSlate is a perfect example of how technology can support accessibility, hygiene, and cultural expression.
Participants learned strategies to make exhibits not just functional, but delightful — balancing creativity with fabrication realities. From vendor relationships to the “magic phrases” that get you better materials and prices, it was an open-book discussion about design transparency and hands-on problem solving.
And yes, we ended with a peekaboo interactive — wonky by design and a reminder that learning through play is powerful, messy, and memorable.
🪵 Session 2: Vinyl, Veneer, and Vision
Vinyl, Veneer and Vision
The second workshop took a deep dive into the materials and methods that shape our exhibits. Attendees got hands-on with vinyl application, learning the craft behind clean installs, proper surfaces, and long-lasting finishes.
We discussed the Three T’s — Time, Talent, and Treasure — a practical framework for planning any project:
- Time: How much do you really have?
- Talent: Who’s on your team and what skills do they bring?
- Treasure: What’s your true budget — and where should it go?
From understanding print terms like bleed, CMYK, and die-cuts, to planning for outdoor durability (graffiti and hurricanes are no joke in Florida!), the session was all about giving cultural organizations confidence to produce professional-quality exhibits on realistic timelines and budgets.
We shared vendor tips, favorite suppliers, and a love letter to vinyl, laminates, and plastics — the unsung heroes of exhibit storytelling.
💡 Takeaways
Across both sessions, one theme kept resurfacing: communication and curiosity are everything. Whether you’re building a multimillion-dollar museum gallery or a simple educational kiosk:
- Confirm, reaffirm, and reiterate.
- Talk in measurements.
- Ask for samples, proofs, and drafts.
- And most importantly — walk and talk the space before fabrication.
📞 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
Thank you to everyone who attended, asked questions, and shared their experiences. My table of material samples has now safely returned to Atomic Carrots HQ — but the conversations we started at ATALM will continue long after the conference.
If you’d like to collaborate, ask questions, or explore how playful design can enhance your next exhibit, reach out anytime:
