Second Life Worlds

By: Neressa Wimberly and Jenna Cronk

The Avalon Planetarium

Ease of Navigation

The Avalon Planetarium places most of its focus on the planetarium itself, but still has multiple different small locations for players to visit on the island. The planetarium is at the center of the island and is thus very easy to find from all locations, but there is no map guiding players to any of the other buildings and as such it can be kind of hard to find specific places from anywhere on the island. The planetarium itself is well labelled and very clear on how it can be interacted with.

Aesthetics

The planetarium itself is well decorated and contains moving and changing pictures to go along with the discussion on different astronomical topics that is played in the chat. The other buildings are all decorated inside and very detailed, and it is very clear that a lot of effort went into the aesthetics of this island, even in the areas that are not the main focus of the location.

Quality of the Resources

All of the education material is delivered through the chat function when the player enters the planetarium. The information delivered is scholarly and accurate, with images and information is sourced from

NASA. There is a wealth of information for the player to learn, but because it is all delivered through the chat function it is not possible to explore this information at your own pace. This makes it difficult to consume all of the content they provide as the chat text moves very slowly. However, the addition of images in the planetarium to accompany the text-based information delivery makes sitting and learning about the universe and space a fun and novel experience akin to visiting a real-life planetarium. 

The Brevin Cat Museum 

Ease of Navigation

The Brevin Cat museum, small in size, is easily navigable with clear signage posted to direct the users. Consisting of five major sections, users can explore health information, cat breed information, a documentary on cats, an adoption center for digital cats, and a memorial park commemorating the deceased cats of the community. Both information stations have clear visuals that when clicked on provide further information on the topic. For instance, users can click on the display of a mane coon and learn more about this breed of cat. Overall, the Brevin Cat museum is accessible presenting information on cats in a clear and interactive way.

Aesthetics

The Brevin Cat Museum adopts a minimalist interior design, yet still creates a warm and inviting atmosphere for any cat lover. Inside, the space is decorated with cat-themed art and features interactive cat mascots scattered throughout the virtual environment, which visitors can pet and engage with. This simplicity keeps the focus on the cats themselves and the information being shared. In contrast, the exterior and memorial park move away from minimalism, offering a more elaborate setting to honour deceased cats. The park features a beautiful fountain, gravestones, and a rainbow motif, symbolizing the idea that these cats have moved on to a better place.

Quality of the Resources

Overall, I think this museum appeals to a niche audience, but it presents accurate and reliable information. Each display section includes a text blurb explaining topics ranging from the traits of different cat breeds to how asthma manifests in cats. The museum goes beyond static text, offering an in-world movie theater that plays a PBS documentary on cats. It engages visitors in multiple ways, even allowing them to purchase digital cats that can accompany them in the museum and be kept as their own. This combination of scholarly content and interactive elements makes excellent use of Second Life’s potential. 

Comparison

Overall, we believe that the Brevin Cat Museum is the superior island due to the design layouts and delivery of information. The cat museum is much clearer about where to find everything, and how to access the information. While the planetarium is just as aesthetically pleasing in its own way, the cat museum is cleaner and easier to navigate. They both offer an array of valuable information, but the delivery of the cat museum is more comprehensible and easier to navigate at the player’s own pace, giving just the information you’re looking for rather than the entire planetarium show.