How to connect the members of the National Parliament (Deutscher Bundestag) and the visitors of the annual Open Day? I found the best way is to connect over a real topic that interests both sides, so each of the 28 committees had to think about a question that the public is really interested in. 

 

The question was then printed on a card, which had a b/w optical marker on the backside. By placing the card on the interactive surface of a multi touch table, more information about the individual committee is presented to the visitor, e.g. current 'hot' topics and the location of the committee.

 

Some committees came back with a funny question. For example the Committee for Defense asked: Can Tigers fly?.... I have to note that the Tiger is a helicopter from the german military.

Some of them asked more serious questions, like the Committee on Budgets. They had the question 'What do you spend my taxes for?' printed on their card. A topic to discuss about.

 

This is a good example how to entice communication and interaction between people who usually do not have much contact, in this case the parliamentarians and the public.

 

The interface was adjusted to the overall look&feel of the Open Day. For example the visual theme, colored ribbons, was repeated as a generative animation in the back of the screen.

 

The concept of open and playful communication turned out to be sucessful and was then used the second time in the following year with slight visual modifications and new questions.

 

CD, Project Management