Ideum creates compelling digital experiences and designs integrated touch and touchless hardware products and software to engage visitors in public spaces. The company is committed to pushing the horizons of design and technology by creating innovative products and services for various clients, including museums, zoos, aquariums, cultural centers, educational institutions, and Fortune 500 companies. From its studios in Corrales, New Mexico, Ideum produces interpretive exhibits that generate wonder, awe, and surprise in audiences in equal measure. Visitors are treated to meaningful experiences that explore science, art, history, and culture for clients.
The company’s expertise includes exhibit design, software and hardware design, HCI, UI/UX design, programming, audio/visual systems, fabrication, video and photography, research and user evaluation, and more. Its creative services group thoughtfully designs custom exhibits while working closely with clients and partners to take projects from concept to schematic design to final design and build. Meanwhile, the industrial design group designs and revises Ideum’s touch tables, displays, and other devices. The company is committed to investigating new input devices, electronics, sensors, software packages, and other emerging products and technologies. As leaders in the field of tangible object recognition for surface computing, Ideum has been developing Tangible Engine software since 2016. Simultaneously, it is strongly committed to making interactive exhibits more accessible and has also published white papers on ADA accessibility.
Ideum is unique from other exhibit design firms because it understands design and production from all angles. It designs custom exhibits and builds unique, turnkey hardware products, in addition to developing interactive software and fabricating, integrating, testing, and installing it. The company’s experience in these fields enables it to collaborate better with clients and other design, software, AV, and fabrication firms. Having executed over 100 interactive projects to date, its work encompasses formal and informal education, gaming, art, linear media, interactive media, interpretation, entertainment, and marketing.
Comprehensive Design, Engineering, and Fabrication Capabilities
Ideum possesses six primary capabilities with more than twenty-five years of experience in design, as follows:
Exhibition & Exhibit Design: Ideum’s exhibit design process is based on a traditional visitor-centric approach but one that incorporates the latest technology and proven design principles. The company has worked with museums, zoos, and visitor centers in every stage of development, from concept to schematic to design and build. Ideum has collaborated with architects, general contractors, and other exhibit design partners. The company's work has been recognized by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), and other professional organizations.
Software Development: The company has developed a range of interactive touchscreen software for museums, visitor centers, aquariums, zoos, trade shows, and other events. The company specializes in developing custom software for large-scale interactive spaces that use large-format touchscreen tables and displays or projection environments with motion and other forms of interaction. Regardless of the user interface, Ideum's focus is on developing interactive exhibit software that is intuitive to use, ADA-compatible, and highly reliable. Its best work has a timeless quality, where the designs look fresh, and the exhibits remain responsive many years after installation.
Ideum's team specializes in developing touchscreen software in Unity and various web-based authoring tools. They have experience with integrating APIs and connecting to existing software systems. They also utilize Ideum's object recognition software, Tangible Engine, to create applications that can interact with tangible objects placed on the company's multitouch tables.
AV Design & Development: The small, agile AV group at Ideum creates first-of-its-kind offerings that are memorable and have a lasting impact. They design custom projection environments, LED tile walls, video walls, and large integrated AV control systems. From 60-foot projection walls to 360-degree projection-mapped installations, Ideum's skilled AV team can produce spectacular immersive installations. Ideum's AV work has been recognized by the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD), Digital Signage Expo (DSE), and other industry awards.
Exhibit Fabrication: Since Ideum's exhibit fabrication group was established in 2017, it has been involved in various interesting projects. The shop has top-of-the-line equipment, including a full-featured CNC, laser cutter, and other modern and traditional tools. The group has developed a range of exhibits, many with integrated technology components, including display cases, scale models, microscope stations, fossil replicas, terrain maps, and more. Ideum's exhibit fabrication group also gets involved in many of its custom touch tables and kiosk projects.
Custom Touch Tables & Kiosks: The company’s standard touch tables and displays are an excellent starting point for customization. The company has been developing touch tables since the early days of this technology back in 2008. Ideum has built ultra-high-resolution and massive multi-screen touch tables and unique form-factor touch kiosks. They also design and produce tangible objects and other interactive peripherals. Along with aluminum and steel, Ideum works with other materials and can create unique installations. The company's goal is to create beautiful turnkey systems that are efficient and reliable. Its custom units are backed by the same warranty as its hardware products.
Sensory Dining: The company has developed several installations focused on taste and aromas. Its work in hospitality brings a strong focus on the visitor experience. It incorporates interactive media into tasting rooms, cruise ships, wine bars, and other places where people gather to enjoy food and beverages. Ideum's High Top Touch Table/Tasting Table is purposely designed for these types of settings, featuring an optically bonded display and accommodating high chairs. The company also develops custom software, custom-designed touch tables, and other interactive elements for bespoke and unique experiences.
Operational Integrity, Technological Vision, and Community Commitments
Ideum strives to conduct business openly, honestly, and fairly. The company constantly strives to produce innovative, high-quality work. Using technology to create exciting and inspiring visitor experiences, it supports clients through ambitious multimedia projects. Also, it creates enduring value for everyone involved in its projects and serves its neighbors by supporting organizations committed to equality, preserving culture, and protecting the environment. It is proud to be a member of the Corrales Main Street Association, Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the New Mexico Technology Council.
Delivering Transformative Visitor Experiences and Cultivating Internal Excellence
Ideum is a pioneering design and build studio that is actively shaping the future trajectory of interactive public spaces. The company assists clients in engaging audiences through memorable and accessible installations by amalgamating custom hardware, immersive AV, and intuitive software. Significantly, Ideum ensures that it prioritizes the growth and development of its internal team by creating a collaborative culture that derives its value from integrity, continuous improvement, and technical freedom espoused by its employees. This allows creators to perform at their best to deliver work that is both meaningful and meets the highest quality standards.
Meet the Leader
Jim Spadaccini is the Founder and Creative Director of Ideum. Having founded the company in 1999, he helps direct Ideum’s commercial hardware and software initiatives and provides creative direction for custom software and installation projects. Jim was also the Principal Investigator for the NSF-sponsored Open Exhibits initiative and co-PI for the CMME project. Previously, he was Director of Interactive Media at the Exploratorium, receiving a Smithsonian Computerworld Award, an ASTC Award for Innovation, and three Webby Awards for “Best Science Site”. He has also consulted with Apple and Adobe and developed materials for professional software authoring tools.
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