Should a terminally ill person have the right to decide when and how they will die? Does someone have the right to freedom of religious expression, even when it may endanger the safety of others around them? These are the kinds of difficult questions posed by The Debate Circle, an interactive exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The exhibit guides visitors through 12 landmark Canadian Human Rights cases. At key moments in each case, viewers are asked to weigh in on important issues. But this isn’t always so easy. Narratives that explore the complexities which arise when multiple human rights are in conflict encourage viewers to challenge their initial positions. Bruce Mau Design was asked to craft the entire experience from research to interaction design to final video production. Both the museum and the exhibit opened in 2014.
The Debate Circle
Client: Canadian Museum of Human Rights
Role: Designer, Animator
Team: Amanda Happe, Raylene Knutson, Katherine Meng, Heather Angell, Justin Close, Benjamin Lory
Exhibit Photography: Amanda Happe and Ian McCausland/CMHR
