AKC Museum of the Dog

A love letter to our best friend

CLIENT

American Kennel Club

DELIVERABLES

Brand strategy

A strategy was crafted to capture a place for people to gather, explore, discover and celebrate the joy of dogs.

Digital integration

An app was created to enrich the museum experience and engage visitors, especially younger visitors with an augmented reality experience.

Awards

Fast Company Innovation by Design Award

NYC x Design Award

Created at Gensler

Since its founding in 1884, the American Kennel Club (AKC) has been the recognized and trusted expert in breed, health, and training information for dogs. The organization was in need of a workplace and public space that captured this legacy.

A multidisciplinary design team that bridged art, education, and entertainment came together to create a space to showcase AKC’s collection of canine fine art—including paintings, drawings, watercolors, prints, sculptures, and bronze and porcelain figurines. To engage visitors, an interactive strategy was developed that included a “Meet the Breeds” touchscreen table to explore breeds, a “Train a Dog on the Job” exhibit that teaches how to train a virtual dog with voice commands and hand signals, and a “Find Your Match” kiosk that takes your photo and matches your likeness with an AKC-registered breed. Additionally, an app was created to provide detailed information and videos about selected artworks, as well as an augmented reality experience with a kid-friendly guide dog named “Arty,” who shows kids around the museum.

This is a showcase like no other in honor of our four-legged friends”

Alan Fausel, AKC Director of Cultural resources