Cattle herding is fundamentally collaborative. No individual could move a herd alone, so the exhibit was designed around cooperation rather than competition, allowing visitors to experience the importance of working together.

To make that possible, I proposed a gameplay mechanic that, to our knowledge, had never been used in a museum exhibit before. Instead of controlling the herd with a joystick or touchscreen, visitors would physically move through the space while a LiDAR tracking system monitored their position relative to the cattle. Their movement became the controller, influencing the herd's behavior in real time.

Because the mechanic was entirely new, we couldn't assume it would work. I hired Whitt Sellers to develop the initial prototype, so we could to test whether visitors could intuitively understand the relationship between their own movement and the herd's response, refining the interaction until it felt both natural and engaging. The result was an experience where visitors didn't just learn about ranching, they experienced the coordination, communication, and shared effort that defined it.

This exhibit was more straight forward: it’s a familiar shooting gallery game. So we had to focus on what Theodore Roosevelt's target practice unique. Historical research revealed that target shooting at Elkhorn Ranch wasn't simply recreation, it was an opportunity for Roosevelt to teach visitors safe and responsible firearm handling. That became the heart of the experience.

The gameplay itself is intentionally familiar, allowing visitors to quickly understand the mechanics and focus on the experience rather than learning complicated controls. The innovation came from embedding Roosevelt's philosophy into the interaction. Gun safety, responsible use, and respect for firearms were integrated into the game through its instructional moments and feedback, transforming a classic target practice game into an interpretive experience rooted in Roosevelt's actual ranching life.

The result is an exhibit that feels immediately accessible while connecting visitors to a lesser-known aspect of Roosevelt's character, his belief that skill with a firearm came with responsibility, discipline, and respect.