I have finalized each of my three experiences:
Victory
This will appear in the stairwell of the library garage.
The text includes the top, 100 classic books in the United States and remain jumbled and illegible until the top of the staircase. As the visitor walks up the stairs, they will trigger the sensor placed on each step after the first step and hear, " step, spark, courage, memory, excitement, confidence, determination, strengthen, endurance, resolve, certainty, victory!" Both the text and sound are attempting to symbolize the experience of learning to read and achieving your goal at the top of the flight of stairs. The visitor will experience this process by physically stepping up the stairs and feeling accomplished at the top.
The flight of stairs contains windows that will be covered with plexiglass that will have the text in vinyl over it but still allow the light to show through. The window at the top of the stairs will also be covered and the stair climber will see the words, "Literacy Kansas City" with the sky showing through the surface in the background. The wall text itself will be applied to the surface of the garage in black vinyl over a painted, dull white (to show the connection to reading pages in a book) on the concrete wall.
Embarrassment
This environment is found right outside the entrance to the library in a small stone garden that is placed there now. The space is framed by a small staircase that leads to the bus stop beside the library. I will be removing the trees and stepping stones but leave the landscape gravel as the floor to the space.
Each of the panels will be made from solid, 1" plexiglass and form a maze for the visitor to walk through. Since the panels are transparent, the visitor will be confused as they try and find their way through the space. At each opening a sensor will shout the words, "WRONG" and "NO" when they pass through. This will make them think they are going the wrong way even though this is the only way through—making them embarrassed. Not only will the shouting be loud, but the visitor will remain in public site through the whole experience. Onlookers will be able to observe (and hear) every move through the space.
At the end of the maze, I will install a large-scale, wall graphic in place of this library graphic that is currently on the stairs leading to the bus stop. This will simply state, "Literacy Kansas City" to let the visitor understand the purpose of the maze environment as it connects with the public library.
I have moved this experience from the tiny hallway I had first planned on placing it in (found inside the library) and moved it to the parking garage elevator. This makes all three experiences outside the library. This emphasizes the fact that illiterate individuals are usually not found inside the actual library but holds the concept of reading due to the close proximity of the experiences. Placing the "overwhelmed" experience inside the elevator of the garage will still involve the physical lack of control and moving experience (from the previous moving floor that I had planned for the experience).
The walls of the elevator will be covered floor to ceiling in small, 1' x 1' screens that will simultaneously show close-up shots of emotions on unidentifiable faces. This would mean ___ total screens. Some will be seen at a fast pace, some slow and will include a strobe-like effect with flashing white on various screens. The ceiling of the elevator will be painted a bold pink. Both doors will be painted an intense yellow.. The sound of multiple voices talking at once will play once the doors have closed and the elevator is moving up or down.
The outside elevator doors will have the words, "Literacy Kansas City" on it that the visitor will see before they enter the space. Since the elevator is such a tight space, I don't want to make the visitor panic. To prevent this, the purpose (literacykc) will inform them before entering the elevator.
