Case Study

American Independence Center

Summary
Designed, developed, and produced an exhibit about the First Amendment that kicks off a series about the Bill of Rights
Client
American Independence Center
Location
Exeter, NH

Founded in 1991, the American Independence Center develops programs, exhibits, tours, and events that advance a deeper understanding of the ongoing struggle for American freedom and self-governance.
 The center is based in the Ladd-Gilman House, a 1700s home in historic Exeter, NH, that also serves as a museum dedicated to New Hampshire’s role in American Independence.

We worked with the American Independence Center to design and implement an exhibit about the First Amendment. This is to be the first exhibit in a rotating series about the Bill of Rights that would explore one amendment each year for a decade. We also helped update the Republic Room, which houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history of the United States.

We collaborated with the museum staff on each step of the project, developing concepts and renderings of the space, coordinating and organizing content, designing graphics and coordinating their printing and installation within the space.

PXL_20260429_210528117
As the first of the series, the First Amendment exhibit laid the groundwork for future installments.

Amending America

The Amending America Gallery, located in an upstairs room of the Ladd-Gilman house, was designated to serve as the dedicated space for the Bill of Rights exhibits. The goal for this series is to explore how these ten amendments to the constitution have shaped American history and impact life today.

The design process included thorough brainstorming with museum staff to ensure that we landed on a design that would set the tone and provide a solid conceptual scaffolding for the series.

One of the core concepts that emerged from our design conversations was the idea of connecting visitors to the experience of British colonial rule. What injustices did early colonists experience that drove them to fight for the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, press, and petition? How can we create an exhibit that makes visitors want to engage with this familiar material in a new and meaningful way?

To account for the crookedness of the historical house while simultaneously defining multiple spaces within a tiny gallery, we hung fabric panels from the ceiling that act as narrative framework, decoration, and partitioning.

As visitors enter the space, they step back to a time of British colonial rule in America. They are surrounded by the faces and stories of colonists who were mistreated by the government because of their vocal dissent. This room paints a picture of groups and individuals whose rights of self expression or religion were curtailed, and who were not allowed to gather freely or petition their government for change.

IMG_8003
IMG_8019
IMG_8014
PXL_20260429_190952039
PXL_20260429_191004287
Visitors move forward in time from the creation of the Constitution towards modern day.

Rounding a corner, visitors re-enter the present moment in the second half of the room. Along each wall is a panel that explores the fundamental aspects of each right detailed in the First Amendment, accompanied by an example of a modern court case that demonstrates the right in action.

We felt that it was critical to give visitors the opportunity to share their thoughts. The Likert Scale Interactive, features five shelves that each present a statement about a First Amendment right. Visitors can add a magnetic puck to each shelf to indicate how strongly they agree or disagree with the corresponding statement.

The exhibit culminates with Grading America, an interactive that considers the question “When it comes to preserving First Amendment rights, what grade would you give the United States?” Visitors submit their grade on the tablet’s custom app and see how their opinion stacks up against those of other visitors.

(And yes, the room is that crooked. The shelves are level!)

PXL_20260429_191016497
PXL_20260429_191025302
Visitors weigh in on two prompts, seeing how their answers compare with previous visitors’.
PXL_20260429_152734870
PXL_20260429_152352642

The Republic Room

The American Independence Center wanted this gallery to feature a permanent timeline-based exhibit. Their goal was an ambitious one: to capture an overview of the entire history of the United States from the Declaration of Independence to the current day.

Our studio coordinated content, designed graphics, and collaborated on installation. A vinyl wrap carries the timeline around the perimeter of the room, calling out historic eras with graphics and imagery. Below the timeline, vitrines hold artifacts from each time period.

PXL_20260429_210549283