Museum of Science and Industry

A hands-on energy simulation inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers.

The concept of energy is abstract: invisible, ever-present, and often difficult to grasp. Most people encounter it through their daily habits—turning off lights, recycling, or taking public transit. But Future Energy Chicago challenges visitors to go deeper, asking: what if we understood energy at a systemic level? What if the choices we made about how we build, move, and live could reshape our cities for the better?

Our Experiences team collaborated with the Museum of Science and Industry to bring that vision to life through an immersive, team-based simulation. Five interactive stations invite visitors to take on real-world roles—transportation engineers, urban planners, energy strategists—and make impactful decisions that influence the energy future of a fictional Chicago.

OUR ROLE

Concept Development

Interactive Content & Motion Design

Touchscreen & Motion Interactives

Software Engineering

Prototyping & Technical Integration

custom-built interactives representing major energy systems

One

living exhibit fostering long-term awareness and innovation around energy

Each of the five interactive stations focuses on a specific domain of energy use: from personal vehicles and household choices to infrastructure planning and city-wide energy sourcing. Visitors work together in teams to improve their room’s collective energy score—balancing personal actions with systemic strategies.

The design encourages both play and critical thinking. It's competitive, cooperative, and deeply educational.

The experience invites visitors to take on the personas of civic problem-solvers. As transportation engineers, they design public transit systems and reduce car dependency. As urban planners, they experiment with mixed-use zoning to create denser, more walkable neighborhoods. As energy advisors, they choose clean energy sources to power the city efficiently.

These roles empower users to see the ripple effect of their decisions—bridging the gap between individual behavior and collective impact. By exploring cause and effect in real time, visitors leave not only informed, but inspired.