CASE STUDY

Saga Center

Client Haugo Bibliotek at Norway House

Location Minneapolis, MN

Date Completed September 2025

Overview

At the new Saga Center in Norway House's research library, Trivium partnered with Split Rock Studios and Electrosonic to create immersive exhibits that explore personal and regional connections to Norway. Introductory displays support the Haugo Bibliotek genealogy center, featuring stories of immigration—like that of the Center’s founder John Haugo—and interactive elements that let visitors investigate real Norwegian-American family histories using primary documents such as census records, church records, and farm books.

Later exhibits highlight modern ties between Norway and Minneapolis through gesture-based interactives, 3D digital renderings of Norway’s natural and city landscapes, and an immersive three-wall projection that highlights content regularly imported directly from cultural organizations partnered with Norway House. Visitors end their journey with a playful encounter: a friendly greeting from a troll in a projected cave-inspired environment.

Challenges

This project required a careful balance between presenting historical perspectives on Norway and highlighting aspects of contemporary Norwegian culture, ensuring that content feels both educational and relevant.

To find this balance, we created a visitor journey that begins with stories of immigration. Throughout the first section of the gallery, visitors learn how traditional Norwegian culture has been carried forward into contemporary Norwegian American culture by immigrants. This leads into exploration of traditional and contemporary culture in Norway itself, and the connections between the U.S. and Norway today. The final exhibit is an immersive projection featuring live and continually updating content from cultural organizations in the U.S. and Norway, bringing the Norwegian experience of both countries right into the gallery.

An additional challenge was the incorporation of unique technologies such as UltraLeap and LiDAR for gesture-based interactives. These needed to feel intuitive and accessible for a wide range of visitors of all ages and abilities.

We addressed this first and foremost by extensive user testing, particularly for the exhibits that have gesture-based user interfaces. We tested them at multiple stages in production with users of all ages. As a result of the testing we adjusted the speed and sensitivity of the devices. We refined calls to action and employed both icon-based and text-based instructions to ensure accessibility and engagement.

Approach

In working on this project, Trivium held the Saga Center’s goal of connecting visitors to both Norwegian America and Norway as a guiding light. In exploring immigration between the two countries, we focused on personal stories about the struggles and joys individuals and families faced, and the lives they built for themselves. Later exhibits encourage the visitor to form their own personal connections to Norway and Norwegian American by allowing them to explore these unique places and cultural experiences for themselves. Playful easter eggs, including custom animations, illustrations, and a hidden troll, were also incorporated in the media to create fun moments for younger visitors, ensuring a memorable experience for all.