THE Debris Field

The debris field identifies the devastated area of the 1917 north end Halifax and Dartmouth, including neighbourhoods and settlements such as Richmond, North Dartmouth and Turtle Grove, seen through the lens of memory. This app builds on the core themes and stories emerging from the Explosion of 1917, showing how they resonate within the here and the now of Halifax 100 years later.

The app illustrates the powerful dynamics of historical and personal reflection, and active research and public engagement. Created with the help of over 80 collaborators and hundreds of participants, these choreographed interactive walks offer up reflections, images, videos, and other ephemeral traces that we see, hear, smell, taste and feel around us in our urban environment.

The Project

MindSea worked with professors from NSCAD and the city of Halifax to bring the Drifts app to life. This was a unique project as the app was thought of as an art installation rather than a utilitarian product. Each drift tells a story and we wanted to immerse our users in these stories which is why we didn’t go with a traditional design for the navigation. Instead, we focused on drawing the user into the story through the interaction design (which was a fun challenge for the developers to get just right).

I led the project from the concept of the design through prototyping, development and finally launching in the app store.

 My Role

• Wireframes, visual designs, and interactive prototypes of the Drifts app

• Animation design

• Project manager of the development of the app

• Worked directly with the clients and key stakeholders to bring the product vision to life