Denmark After Dark
Design and develop an interactive room, replicating a rehearsal room and recording studio for the D-A-D exhibition.
CLIENT:
The Danish National Museum
ROLE:
Experience design, sound design
TECHNOLOGY USED:
Blender, TouchDesigner, Ableton, OSC
Problem
The National Museum in Copenhagen aimed to create an interactive feature for the Denmark After Dark exhibition, offering visitors a behind-the-scenes look into a band's engine room. The chosen setup was a recreation of both a rehearsal and recording studio. However, the challenge was designing an interactive experience that encouraged visitor engagement while preserving a strong social element.
Research
Research into the target group of museum audiences was conducted, complemented by a review of similar interactive and social installations, as well as field visits. Continuous testing of the instrumental setup was crucial throughout the process. These usability tests provided valuable insights into both the soundscape and the sound engineering needed to ensure that even non-musicians could produce pleasing sounds effortlessly, right from the start.
Solution
The solution was a replication of the band’s rehearsal studio, complete with props to enhance immersion. We designed a system that allowed visitors to jam together and hear each other through the headphones with an integrated soundscape, featuring recordings of the actual band members playing, talking, and laughing.
The studio setup included two pairs of headphones for visitors to mix a D-A-D song using a physical mixer. On the screen, a video of the band playing the song would be activated when interacting with the mixer.
This blend of sound, video, and physical interaction created a highly engaging and social experience for museum visitors.
Process
We joined the National Museum’s exhibition team in the fall of 2023 as part of our Master’s internship — with one task: design a room that plays. The exhibition celebrated D-A-D’s 40-year anniversary and aimed to do more than just showcase instruments or tell stories. It was about letting visitors step inside the machinery of rock culture.
Early in the process, we held a structured brainstorm using color-coded post-its to map ideas, user insights, and thematic directions.
The session helped us align on core experience goals — from physical interaction and sound design to myth-making and rockstar culture. This board became a shared foundation for co-designing the final space.
Blueprint of the room with the rehearsal space and the studio
We worked closely with curators, architects, technicians, and the band itself to design a hands-on installation based on D-A-D’s actual rehearsal space, blending scenography, sound design, and tangible interaction. The exhibition space was divided into two interactive zones — Øveren (the rehearsal room) and Studio.
This flow diagram maps out the available pathways for visitor interaction, from picking up real instruments to mixing tracks or playing along with D-A-D recordings. Each station offered multiple modes, allowing both individual exploration and collaborative jamming. The blueprint shows how spatial layout supported intuitive circulation between the zones.
Diagram of software and hardware
Replicating the room in 3D allowed us to quickly test and iterate on the physical flow, instrument setup, lighting, and scenographic elements. The model became a flexible tool during co-creative workshops with the museum team, helping align decisions across design, tech, and storytelling early in the process.
3D model for prototyping and team workshops
Floor plan used for layout and tech planning
These fleshed-out visuals explored lighting, props, textures, and atmosphere — helping us fine-tune the feel of the room. They served as conversation starters in design meetings, aligning scenographic choices across the team before production began.
Prototyping
To bring the space to life, we developed a custom setup that merged analog instruments with a responsive digital sound system. All instruments were live-routed through Ableton Live, processed with real-time effects, and fed into a collective headphone mix.
Visitors could always hear themselves and each other, making the space feel instantly social. But layered into the mix was something more: a spatial soundscape recorded in D-A-D’s actual rehearsal space. This created the illusion that the band was present — breathing, tuning, mumbling, riffing — just out of sight.
We documented and measured every detail of the backstage storage room to recreate it accurately in 3D—a crucial step in designing an authentic spatial experience within the constraints of the physical site.
User testing
We conducted a series of early user tests with a working instrument setup at the Danish Music Museum. The goal was to observe how visitors interacted with the space, the instruments, and each other — before the final exhibition context was in place. The tests revealed a clear pattern: people didn’t need much instruction. Given a few instruments and headphones, most users naturally began to explore, jam, and improvise together.
Alongside moments of delight, we also uncovered practical friction points — like headphone clutter, volume imbalances, and visitor hesitation at first entry. These insights directly informed refinements in the final installation.
Room design
The space was designed to evoke D-A-D’s real rehearsal room — worn rugs, posters, gear, and all. Our goal was to blend exhibition and atmosphere, letting visitors feel like they had stepped into the band’s creative universe.
We treated scenography as interaction — letting atmosphere do the talking. Instead of adding signage, we leaned into texture, clutter, and detail to create a space that felt lived-in, not staged.
From sound engineering to visitor flow, every part of the process challenged us to adapt quickly and think across disciplines. It sharpened not just our design skills, but how we collaborate, communicate, and make ideas work in the real world.
Key Learnings from the D-A-D Project
Atmosphere is interaction – A rich, layered scenography made visitors feel present without needing extra explanation or facilitation.
Real instruments create real connection – The tactility and authenticity of the setup invited spontaneous play across age groups and backgrounds.
Sound shapes behavior – A spatial soundscape of the band rehearsing helped guide user behavior and set the tone without explicit onboarding.
Shared experiences emerge naturally – Most visitors played together without prompt, highlighting the power of open, co-present interaction design.
Constraints sharpen decisions – Working with fire codes, AV routing, and live museum logistics pushed us to prioritize clarity and stability without sacrificing creativity.