WHEATON, ILL.- “On this specific day in May, our post was hit with mortars. We were given the coordinates. We sent two trucks to the area. Shortly after the trucks left the bridge there was a large explosion and frantic yelling over the radio,” said Joe Naylor, Specialist with the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq from 2003-2004. For the first time, this and other evocative soldier stories are captured for visitors as part of the First Division Museum’s new exhibits.

Saturday, August 26 marked both the reopening of the First Division Museum and the 1st Infantry Division’s centennial anniversary of World War I. Luci Creative, a museum master planning and exhibit design firm, led this first ever redesign.

“We were hired to redevelop the holistic museum experience with a contemporary design approach that inspires a deeper connection between visitors and the individuals who serve our country,” said A.J. Goehle, Director of Strategy and Design, Luci Creative. “We believe the new designs, layered media and interactives will bring the public closer to understanding and relating to the stories of our military and believe that it will leave a long-lasting impression.”

Luci Creative led the museum’s master planning and exhibit redevelopment, including the creation of a new 2,500-square-foot exhibit, Duty First, an update of the 10,000-square-foot existing exhibit, First in War, along with a new lobby experience.

The Duty First gallery is a permanent exhibit where visitors learn about the missions performed by the 1st Infantry Division, with much of the story being told through the voices of soldiers and veterans. Luci Creative’s innovative design solution takes the 50-year contemporary story and breaks it into five mission-based exhibit zones: Deterrence, Battle, Peacekeeping, Counterinsurgency, and Military Assistance. In each zone, visitors interact with artifacts, exploratory digital content, media simulations, a virtual reality immersive film, and a compelling narrative that highlights the exhibit’s three themes: Our Soldiers, Our Division, and Our Missions.

Luci Creative also reimagined the First Division Museum’s First in War gallery. The permanent exhibit tells the Division’s story from its creation in 1917 through the Vietnam War. The exhibit includes new graphics, thematic environments, and films that amplify soldier experiences in WWI, WWII, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War.

Collaborating with media and interactive partners, Northern Light Productions, Unified Field, Brave New Pictures, Elbe Creative Partners, and Creative Technology, Luci Creative developed cutting edge media, including a virtual reality film, and interactive installations. These elements allow visitors to interact with soldiers, virtually experience a raid in Iraq, and witness a simulated battle from the Gulf War. The exhibits help visitors connect and empathize with the soldier experience: covering everything from battle to training, and everyday life.

Luci Creative examined the visitor experience at the museum and acted as the content lead, overseeing research, scripting, writing and production of all elements in the museum, including 140 media and interactive elements and 363 unique graphics. Ravenswood Studio fabricated and installed the exhibits and Chicago’s Pepper Construction served as the general contractor.

“It’s very important to tell the 1st Infantry Division’s story since the Vietnam era,” said Paul Herbert, executive director, First Division Museum. “Our new exhibits show the many missions our soldiers and armed forces perform around the world every day. Visitors can encounter, question and form their own views about our military, past and present. An informed and engaged public is vital to our common defense.”