Sharing the history of Japanese Americans surrounding WWII
Friends of Minidoka sought to create an immersive virtual platform worthy of powerful stories of Japanese Americans who resisted injustice around WWII. They needed a solution balancing innovation with reverence, ensuring every detail upheld the weight of these histories. We designed a web application featuring multimedia content, oral histories, and an interactive map of historical monuments. Thoughtful animations bring artifacts and stories to life, while virtual monuments foster a sense of place — a big deal when many of these physical spaces no longer exist. The result is a deeply respectful, visually stunning digital experience that ensures these untold stories of resilience endure for generations.
THE CHALLENGE
Share the history of Japanese Americans surrounding WWII
Monuments preserve history, but many stories remain untold — including those of Japanese Americans incarcerated during WWII. With support from the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project, Friends of Minidoka engaged us to, “transform the nation’s commemorative landscape to ensure our collective histories are more completely and accurately represented.” Our task was to share stories of resistance while building a platform capable of evolving and preserving these histories for generations to come.
THE SOLUTION
Thoughtfully engage and educate
With deep reverence for these stories, we created Beyond the Barbed Wire, an immersive platform designed to engage and educate. Through multimedia storytelling, an interactive monument map, and evocative animations, we brought oral histories and artifacts to life — restoring a sense of place for stories long overlooked. A thoughtful brand and visual system unified these narratives, honoring the past while building a foundation for future stories yet to be told.
THE RESULT
A platform to honor stories
The project fostered 10 key partnerships, including organizations like the Mellon Foundation and the National Park Service, and gathered content from 70 institutions such as the Smithsonian and US National Archives. More than 40 stories were illuminated, featuring notable figures like Frank Abe and Gordon Hirabayashi. Beyond the Barbed Wire has received initial praise for its thoughtful design and impact, serving as both an educational tool and a platform for future generations to engage with and continue these vital stories.
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