Project: The Science of Sharing

Role: Lead Exhibit Developer

Description: Red Blue is an interactive exhibit about competition, rivalry, and group dynamics, set across the West Gallery of the Exploratorium. The experience features four pedestals, each outfitted with a red and blue button, and two large scoreboards that track team progress in real-time. The premise is simple: Tap a button to earn a point for that color team.

Games last 5, 10, or 15 minutes, during which thousands of points may be scored. Players are thrown into sudden allegiances with total strangers, while often finding themselves in direct competition with their own friends and family. The result is a fast-paced, emotionally charged experience that invites reflection on group loyalty, peer pressure, and collective action.

At random intervals, gameplay pauses and visitors are prompted with questions about their motivations, choices, and shifting team allegiances. These moments transform the exhibit from a simple button-mashing game into a playful social experiment, encouraging visitors to think critically about their own behavior—and just why they’ve spent so much time furiously tapping buttons for a team they didn’t know they were on just a few minutes earlier.

More Information: Red Blue, Exploratorium

2013