Drinkall Dean leads the design of Operation Ouch! exhibition at the Science Museum Group with Kit Studio and DHA

The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester has launched a year-long interactive exhibition based on the hit BBC show Operation Ouch!, designed to make science fun, gross, and deeply engaging for young minds.

To bring the show’s playful, educational ethos to life, the Science Museum Group appointed Drinkall Dean as the lead designers, responsible for the 3D set design, overall spatial experience, and integration of interactive elements. They worked in collaboration with Kit Studio, who developed the 2D graphics and visual identity, and DHA, who designed the lighting.

“It’s been a joy to work on Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You for the Science and Industry Museum with the BBC and Objective Media Group,” says Science and Industry Museum project manager Hannah Clapham-Clark. “The exhibition is a fun-filled romp through our senses and what makes our brains work, and I’d like to thank Drinkall Dean for leading the design, as well as Kit Studio and DHA for their fantastic contributions in bringing the science to life.”

Drinkall Dean’s design approach was focused on creating an immersive, sensory-led experience. Visitors enter the exhibition through an exaggerated ear canal, complete with dangling earwax, before navigating through colour-coded rooms that each represent a different sense. Interactive elements, such as the Joy of Sound Wall, Smell Library, and Illusion Wall, encourage hands-on learning. The experience culminates in Brain HQ, the exhibition’s central hub, where neurons connect each sensory zone.

Kit Studio’s 2D design work played a crucial role in amplifying this environment, ensuring the exhibition’s signage, captions, and interactive graphics seamlessly supported the overarching concept. “We worked closely with Drinkall Dean, the Museum, BBC, and Operation Ouch! to create a visual identity that celebrates the senses,” says Kit Studio creative partner Chris Bounds. “Our designs use perspective and illusion to enhance immersion—whether it’s creating the effect of stepping inside a waxy ear canal or making visitors feel like they’re walking across a lab table.”

The exhibition is structured around colour-coded rooms, each representing a different sense and leading back to Brain HQ. Kit Studio's visual identity amplifies this zoned experience by ensuring consistency in colour across captions, overhead signage, tables, and walls within each zone.

One of the most distinctive design elements is the use of perspective and illusion, as visitors are 'shrunk' as they enter the space. Bounds says: "Our wallpaper designs create the effect of walking across lab tables or stepping inside a waxy ear canal.

"Grossness is a big part of Operation Ouch!—so we dialled it up with dripping saliva, earwax, and eye-gunk illustrations, hung snot drops from the ceiling, and even created a 3D floor graphic that looks like a pit of waxy goo."

While Operation Ouch! is aimed at children, the exhibition had to engage adults just as much. "One of the unique aspects of the show is that it uses correct scientific terminology while still being fun and accessible, so that balance naturally carries through to our designs," says Bounds.

Accessibility also played a huge role in the decision-making process. "Height was a big consideration—ensuring captions, illustrations, and tables were positioned for both adults and younger visitors," Bounds notes. The team opted for large-scale graphics at lower heights to make them easy to read for all ages.

Interactivity was at the heart of the exhibition's design, as Kit Studio wanted to encourage visitors to explore and keep moving through the space. "If a payoff is just a block of text, people won't engage," Bounds explains, "but if it's a hidden illustration or a revealed answer to a question, they're much more likely to keep exploring."

A prime example is the 'Secret Senses' panels, where visitors shine a light to reveal hidden information. Another is the illusion created by magicians Olivier and Chloe Rendon, where one person appears large and another tiny inside a small box just by taking a photo from a specific angle.

Lighting was also a crucial design element, ensuring visitors didn't feel lost in the non-linear space. "DHA lighting did an incredible job using pulsing lights to connect each room back to Brain HQ," says Bounds. "Backlit section panels and overhead signage also helped to guide visitors seamlessly through the exhibition."

According to Bounds, audience feedback has been overwhelmingly positive since its opening, and the Museum has told Kit Studio that visitors love the experience.

For the Kit design team, the project has reinforced the importance of lighting in these exhibitions. "It truly elevates the space," Bounds notes. "That's something we'll continue to prioritise in future projects."

In future, Kit Studio is excited about continuing its work in museum and exhibition design. "Working in the cultural sector is incredibly rewarding," Bounds reflects. "It allows us to inspire, educate, and leave a lasting impression on audiences. That's what drives us."

Since its opening, Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You has been met with enthusiastic feedback from visitors of all ages. Reflecting on the project, Drinkall Dean’s senior designer Adam Mears says, “Alongside our collaborators Kit Studio and DHA, we’ve created an exhibition that encourages exploration, learning, and fun. It’s been a joy to bring this world to life.”