Manitoba Oil Museum Interactive Center MOMIC
The project
Since the Manitoba Act of 1870, surveyors had been on the hunt for oil in Manitoba, striking success in 1950. This discovery intertwined the lives of Manitobans with the volatile economy of oil and gas extraction. To commemorate this industry, the Manitoba Oil Museum and Interpretive Centre (MOMIC) was established in Virden, Manitoba during the late 1980s and early 1990s by individuals who benefited from the oil extraction industry. The museum showcases stories of these individuals dealing with Surface and Mineral Rights.
The Manitoba Surface Rights Association (MSRA) was formed in the 1970s to address these rights. Furthermore, the GASPE organization emerged in the late 1990s to address the challenges posed by toxic gases from oil extraction, advocating for regulatory changes. The intricacies of oil and gas extraction, including fracking, have had profound impacts on the region and its inhabitants.
The Solution
WordPress was chosen as the content management system, offering a robust and user-friendly platform for content organization and editing. This decision ensured that the vast amount of information could be systematically arranged and easily updated as needed.
A unique design choice was the placement of the navigation menu at the bottom, which remains accessible as users scroll through the content. This positioning ensures that visitors can effortlessly navigate the site without having to return to the top, enhancing the user experience and future-proofing for installation into a physical interactive kiosk.
Furthermore, an interactive map was integrated into the platform, providing a visual representation of the scale of oil extraction in Manitoba. This map not only offers a geographical context but also helps visitors grasp the sheer magnitude and significance of the oil industry in the region. Working with the Government of Manitoba, we were able to convert the GIS data map data into a user friendly user experience complete with points of interest.
The Challenge
The Manitoba Oil Museum and Interpretive Centre (MOMIC) faced multifaceted challenges in developing its interactive website. One of the primary challenges was organizing a vast amount of content in a manner that ensured clear navigation and an intuitive user experience. This was crucial to ensure that users could easily access and understand the rich history and information presented. Additionally, the design needed to be versatile enough to be incorporated into an interactive kiosk in the future, demanding a forward-thinking approach to user interface and interactivity. The platform also required the capability to provide multiple pathways to access the same content, ensuring flexibility in user exploration.
