World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation

Project Overview:
Our media at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum charts the rapid evolution and use of wartime aviation, spotlighting the bold ideas, everyday ingenuity, and historical events that pushed flight forward. For the reimagination of the WWI Gallery, we created linear media that brings history to life through immersive elements and used custom animation to activate archival materials.
Trench Wall Periscopes:
In our Trench Wall Periscopes experience, visitors become soldiers in the trenches, watching a high-stakes battle unfold through a periscope. An airplane flies toward you, your trenchmates react in colorful period slang, and an aerial dogfight unfolds as the sound of gunfire approaches and a zeppelin is spike-bozzled out of the sky. The multisensory experience invites interaction through a felt sense of the urgency, scale, and uncertainty of combat, creating an emotional buy-in that enriches a well-known history.
“World War I Aviation: A Timeline of Firsts” Video:
Our video, “World War I Aviation: A Timeline of Firsts,” gives visitors a chance to explore the rapid innovations that reshaped aviation during the war. Using archival images and parallax animation, the piece highlights just how quickly aviation technology advanced—and the scale of its impact on the battlefield. To get the timeline right, we teamed up with the Smithsonian’s curators, who shared their deep knowledge of aviation history and technology. From there, our designers transformed those details into visuals that are both easy to follow and engaging to watch.
“Aircraft Evolved” Video:
A fan-favorite among both casual airplane enthusiasts and military aviation buffs is our “Aircraft Evolved” video, which takes viewers through some of the most remarkable planes developed during the First World War. With continuous 3D motion graphics, it shows how these pioneering aircraft laid the groundwork for the planes we know today. Visitors leave with a clear sense of just how transformative these innovations were—and how WWI helped shape the future of aviation.