Museum infographics

Cosmonautics and Aviation centre, VDNH, Moscow

Explanatory plates for the Cosmonautics and Aviation centre at VDNH in Moscow: the planets and the Moon, the ISS, mission control, how cosmonauts are trained, and the cities of the space industry. Made with Misha Simakov.

The Cosmonautics and Aviation centre at VDNH: plates along the glass wall, visitors in the sunlit hall

The task

For the Cosmonautics and Aviation centre at VDNH, Moscow. Explanatory plates for the exhibition: printed panels, read standing up, with no interface and no second screen to fall back on. About a year of work, from the brief and a spreadsheet plan to print.

The result

Large dark plates along the glass wall of the pavilion, one subject each: the planets and the Moon, the ISS, mission control, how cosmonauts are trained, the shape of the Earth and why every flat map lies, and the cities behind the space programme. The mission control plate went through six rounds before the final.

My role: concept, editorial work, design, with Misha Simakov.

Cosmonautics and Aviation centre, VDNH, Moscow
Printed wall plates along the pavilion window
Planets, the Moon, the ISS, mission control, cosmonaut training, space-industry cities
Made with Misha Simakov
About a year of work
Six rounds on the mission control plate before print

In the museum, the plates, the process

Two visitors reading the Mars plate — Mars. The plates stand against the glass wall of the pavilion, so the park shows through behind the text.

A visitor in front of the Moon plate, a child on a pouf beside it — The Moon, with its phases along the right edge.

Visitors at the Venus plate — Venus, and the visitors reading it.

Plate: the International Space Station — The ISS.

Plate: what shape is the Earth — What shape is the Earth, and how we came to know it.

Plate: the Earth on maps, why every flat map lies — The Earth on maps, and why every flat map lies.

Plate: how cosmonauts are trained — How cosmonauts are trained.

Plate: the Institute of Biomedical Problems — The Institute of Biomedical Problems.

The mission control plate through four rounds, from the first layout to print — Mission control, on a loop: round one, round four, round six, print.

Plate: the asteroid belt — The asteroid belt.

The first sketch of the plate layout, in a notebook — The first sketch, in a notebook.

The grid: a title, one large object, a column of text and a row of details.