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Lukasa-inspired tangible tabletop installation in the Mapping Place museum exhibition. Lukasa-inspired tangible tabletop installation in the Mapping Place museum exhibition.
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An increasing number of museum exhibits incorporate multi-modal technologies and interactions; yet these media divert visitors’ attention away from the cultural heritage artifacts on display. This paper proposes an overarching conceptual structure for designing tangible and embodied narrative interaction with cultural heritage artifacts within a mu...
Citations
... Harley et al. provide a literature review of interactive stories that use tangible objects [15]. Chu and Mazalek extend this framework to include interactive narratives with bodily interactions [5]. ...
There is growing interest in designing playful interactions with food, but food based tangible interactive narratives have received less attention. We introduce Gummy's Way Out, an interactive tangible narrative experience where interactors eat a gummy bear and help him find his way out of their bodies by eating various food items. By consuming different things, the interactor either helps or hinders the gummy bear's journey through an imagined Diegetic body that overlaps with their own. Interactors are endowed with the gummy bear's well-being and are also encouraged to reflect on how their actions can impact their Lived body. We present preliminary results of a user study and design considerations on how to design for the diegetic body in interactive food based narrative experiences. We recommend leveraging the sensory and emotional properties of food to create a visceral narrative experience.
... Narrative design presents knowledge in a more engaging way, facilitating the effective transmission of educational content. Chu J.H. et al. [5] explored the importance of narrative design in the presentation of cultural heritage, where participants can engage directly with narratives through physical interaction, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of the background and significance of artifacts. Zhou, X. et al. [6] combined narrative design with Southern Fujian culture, enabling designers to more effectively convey the uniqueness and deep values of Southern Fujian culture, transforming products into mediums that convey cultural stories and emotions. ...
To address the issues of subjectivity and bias that designers face in selecting and constructing narrative cultural themes when introducing narrative design methods into the design of handicraft intangible cultural heritage cultural and creative products, a model incorporating quantitative analysis methods into the narrative theme selection process is proposed. First, based on the theory of cultural levels and semiotic structure, a new narrative text structure is developed to enrich the narrative cultural themes of handicraft intangible cultural heritage. Second, a process model for constructing narrative texts of handicraft intangible cultural heritage is established using kansei engineering, factor analysis, and the TOPSIS method, to minimize the impact of subjective factors in the narrative theme selection process. Finally, using the design of Huangmei Cross Flower cultural and creative products as an example, the feasibility of the model is validated. This method model effectively reduces the transmission bias of cultural features in the narrative design process of handicraft intangible cultural heritage, providing a theoretical foundation for further design practice of handicraft intangible cultural heritage products.
... They help visitors understand the local history and culture and give background information that helps them appreciate the significance of the artifacts on display (Jarosz, 2021). These descriptions also help in connecting the dots between different exhibits and understanding how they relate to each other (Chu & Mazalek, 2019). By providing a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical significance of the artifacts, the text descriptions help students engage with the exhibits on a more personal level. ...
This study described how social studies preservice teachers learn local history and culture through museum visits. It employed a qualitative descriptive research design involving ten social studies preservice teachers selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected through a written interview and analyzed using thematic analysis. Through museum visits, social studies preservice teachers learned the following: visual driven through images, relics and artifacts, and multimedia presentation; audio/oral driven through curator explanation and peer discussion; text driven through text description ; and actual experience-driven through applying learning from exhibits, giving a point of view from the past, and wearing traditional attire. Preservice social studies teachers can learn about local history and culture by visiting museums. This study emphasizes the value of museums in preserving and promoting local heritage and culture, as well as how they can be a valuable resource for learning about local history and culture.
... The current methods used to present artefacts are lacking in some areas which ultimately leads to the attendees not connecting with them (Trunfio et al. 2021). A potentially "magical" experience can be induced by physically touching an artefact and acquiring the meaning of an object which also creates an intimate personal connection between the artefact and the creators (Chu and Mazalek 2019). Initially, the use of digital technology in cultural heritage spaces focused on delivering information rather than the sensorial experience of being at the location (Petrelli 2013). ...
Emergent digital technologies provide cultural heritage spaces with the opportunity to reassess their current user journey. An immersive user experience can be developed that is innovative, dynamic, and customised for each attendee. Museums have already begun to move towards interactive exhibitions utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IOT), and more recently, the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) has become more common in cultural heritage spaces to present items of historical significance. VR concentrates on the provision of full immersion within a digitised environment utilising a headset, whilst AR focuses on the inclusion of digitised content within the existing physical environment that can be accessed through a medium such as a mobile phone application. Machine learning techniques such as a recommender system can support an immersive user journey by issuing personalised recommendations regarding a user’s preferred future content based on their previous activity. An ethical approach is necessary to take the precautions required to protect the welfare of human participants and eliminate any aspect of stereotyping or biased behaviour. This paper sets out a human-centred manifesto intended to provide guidance when inducing smart digital immersion in cultural heritage spaces. A review of existing digital cultural heritage projects was conducted to determine their adherence to the manifesto with the findings indicating that Education was a primary focus across all projects and that Personalisation, Respect and Empathy, and Support were also highly valued. Additionally, the findings indicated that there were areas with room for improvement such as Fairness to ensure that a well-balanced human-centred system is implemented.
... The final target of this research is the design of a tangible interface, based on narrative content and supported by meaningful interactions. In a later project [103], she designed a framework for digitally presenting cultural heritage artifacts. Her tangible and embodied narrative framework (TENF) was used on a pilot project called Mapping Place to show that TNs help visitors to create a personal connection with a museum artifact. ...
The research field of digital storytelling is cross-disciplinary and extremely wide. In this paper, methods, frameworks, and tools that have been created for authoring and presenting digital narratives, are selected and examined among hundreds of works. The basic criterion for selecting these works has been their ability to create content by computational, emergent methods. By delving into the work of many researchers, the objective is to study current trends in this research field and discuss possible future directions. Most of the relevant tools and methods have been designed with a specific purpose in mind, but their use could be expanded to other areas of interest or could at least be the steppingstone for other ideas. Therefore, the following works show elements of computational and emergent narrative creation and a classification is proposed according to their purpose of existence. Finally, new potential research directions in the field are identified and possible future research steps are discussed.
... In social science research, the concept of engagement has many connotations. These include narrative engagement, which is related to the feelings experienced when engaging with audiovisual narratives on television or in the cinema [24], and player engagement, which is related to the experience of playing games and linked to a multitude of other concepts such as flow [25], immersion [26], and motivation [27]. For this study, we have taken the concept of engagement used in the literature on cultural heritage education, specifically that outlined by [28], which defines engagement with cultural heritage as the individuals' evaluation of and response to cultural heritage. ...
This paper aims to provide a framework for creating and analyzing cultural heritage games, with the intention of maximizing players’ cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement with digital heritage. To achieve this, a set of game design characteristics was identified through semi-structured interviews with experts (n = 16) and subsequently validated through a discussion with university students (n = 19). Grounded theory was then applied to the comments of the experts to create a framework of ten fundamental characteristics, divided into three dimensions: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. Additionally, an assessment of the literature was conducted to explain and support the inclusion of each game component.
... For instance, the historical graveyard of Salla, situated currently in an inaccessible border zone in Russia, was reconstructed as an immersive 3D virtual reality (VR) experience (Häkkilä et al. 2019). Technology provides ways to present traditional cultural heritage content, such as narratives and oral traditions, in a richer manner than traditional text and picture-based presentations, as illustrated e.g. for African cultural heritage context by Chu and Mazalek (2019). Multisensory and interactive museum exhibits offer memorable experiences for visitors (Paananen et al. 2021) and can utilize technology as a tool. ...
In this paper we present the results of a systematic literature review investigating the cross-sections of decolonizing design, cultural heritage, and technology. In total, 26 relevant publications were found and examined systematically. Decolonizing design is a growing trend and the most publications were published since 2017. By examining the results, we will introduce the current debates and discourses on using technology in the context of cultural heritage field by using decolonizing design approach. We report that whereas technology itself appears as neutral, it is applied through a lens of values which can be intertwined with politics and power. In order to improve this, the design processes should be integrated with the local and cultural context. This is accomplished through participatory and co-creation approaches. Altogether, whereas the theme of decolonizing design is gaining growing interest, there is still a relatively small number of studies which report applying the approach into the design practice.KeywordsDecolonizing designCultural heritageTechnologyDesign sensitivitiesHuman-computer interactionDesignSystematic literature review
... Storytelling is thus transformed into a participatory tool for the user, especially if through his actions he can activate new levels of narrative, take part, or change the outcome. This type of participation provides the interlocutor with the pleasure of actively engaging to play a role in the narrative and transform its outcome [17]. The user becomes an actor in the progression of knowledge creation in participatory and cognitive-emotional processes [67] and the "living" space within which new stories come to life. ...
The current context is characterised by the speed of change in the technological sphere and in particular by the interconnection—to the point of overlaying—between physical and digital space. This stimulates consideration on the opportunities to explore the new frontiers of knowledge through advanced technologies and unprecedented cognitive-sensory perceptions, both from the user’s viewpoint and from that of the researcher. The chapter provides a critical-analytical reflection on accessibility and multisensory issues as fundamental tools for transferring multilevel knowledge between physical and digital. Based on this study, it proposes the configuration of immersive knowledge-sharing environments where cultural heritage and scientific research intersect, placing the user at the centre of experience. The augmented, multilevel fruition, the tracking within the multisensory environment of psycho-physiological and behavioural users’ data, together with the assessment of experience itself, have guided the design experimentations undertaken for the new layout of the Museum of Contemporary Mediterranean Ceramics in Cava de’ Tirreni. This was conceived as a multisensory and accessible phygital laboratory of inclusion and dialogue, a dynamic and adaptive space for sharing and experiencing knowledge.KeywordsMultilevel knowledgePhysical-digital relationshipPhygitalMultisensory adaptive fruitionAccessibilityImmersive experience
... A multimedia approach, resulting in dynamic visualizations on surfaces and objects [23][24][25], can alter the visitor's perception of heritage based on an artistic, abstract, occasionally interactive, and more affective way of communicating the intangible values [26] outlined above. The dynamic representations can transcend the visitor's cultural experience by augmenting the exploration of heritage artefacts and historical events [27] or by connecting symbolic illustrations through vibrant narratives [28], thus enhancing cultural learning and supporting social interplay among visitors. In addition to the latter, the digitally enhanced exhibits that afford tactile engagement contrary to the do-not-touch outdated museum standard [29,30] also encourage public interaction, thus placing the museum closer to its audience and fulfilling its foundational social scope. ...
... The central values communicated are recognition and respect for the preserved knowledge that the culture continues to deliver. In the same context, but less symbolically, the work in [28] presents two case studies based on interactive tabletop narration using tangibles. The aim is to contextualize the meaning of the representative cultural tangibles and help visitors to connect personally with them. ...
Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR), as implemented with projection mapping, is part of mixed-reality technology with numerous applications in the cultural domain. In museums, interactive projection mapping has been exploited to superimpose virtual content on exhibited artefacts, offering users various hybrid ways to interact with the artefacts’ physical and digital content. For this reason, it has been widely used in the context of architectural heritage to promote culture and raise awareness about historical buildings or landscapes by visualizing significant elements they convey. This paper presents the design, development, and iterative user evaluation of an interactive projection mapping installation for the Mastic Museum on Chios island in Greece that promotes UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage. The installation affords tangible interaction to activate the video projections presented in a storytelling manner on a 3D-printed scale model of a representative historic settlement exhibited inside the museum. The concept of this installation aims to connect the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of mastic and the related villages with narration and vivid illustrations. Three evaluation phases took place during the development at the lab and the museum, informing UX, learning, and design considerations.
... It has become common to enhance the user experience and increase museum visitor traffic through digital technologies. An analysis of the impact of websites, social networks, and virtual communities on museum traffic reveals that social networks and virtual communities play an essential role in museum visitor narratives and interactions [25]. At the same time, museum websites need to be further enhanced in terms of digital experiences and content narrative strategies. ...
As culture becomes a value dimension of economic and social development worldwide, museums as a social medium are given more missions and expectations. Mobile Internet technology is empowering digital museums in the epidemic context, bringing new public cultural service content to the public. In this paper, we focus on the website quality of user experience in the current construction of digital museums. By analyzing the components of 20 digital museums, three models with different tendencies are abstracted. Then the three models are implemented as prototype websites, and their user experience was evaluated by experiment. Result shows that website content and user identity differences affect website quality, user attitudes, and user intentions. Rich contextual information contributes to the experience, and the “professional group” generally agrees less with the digital museum experience than the “non-professional group”. This research has implications for the study of digital museum user groups, experience analysis, and content construction.