everything changes: what can we learn from product development in mobile interpretation?

Frankly, Green + Webb

Created for: Presented by: Date issued:REACT Inspiration Day Lindsey Green 18th June 2012


Everything changes and nothing changes:

Creating products for the Cultural Heritage Sector -

what do we know already?


Once Upon A Walkman…

•Simple•Immersive•Dramatic•Solution driven rather than technology driven


Aspects we can learn from•How to put our products into the hands of as many visitors as possible•Create products that meet the needs of many cultural heritage organisations•Develop more magical experiences


What does the cultural heritage organisation

need to achieve?

What experience does the

technology offer?Audience

Mission

Technology

What is the audience doing

already/motivated to do?


Understand the factors that effect the time scale

Regularly in a situation where technology has updated before money is available •Departmental budgets/funding processes•Organisational need is attached to finance

Possible shortcuts:•Find out how similar products were funded•Opportunities for products that:

• Learning skills• Looking for longer• Engagement of new audience• Improve visitor flow

•Prove it•Commit to the experience not the technology



Challenges of Mobile Audio

User needs• Unable to ignore sense• Can’t focus sense• Quality of playback

Operational• Sound spill• Difficult to be discreet

Understand the context

Try out:•Different operations•New content design•Position the product to the visitor



Unique vs Generic•Visiting cultural heritage about a unique experience•This tends to lead to more functionality•Tension that leads to re-inventing the wheel OR completely ruining visitor experience


What does the cultural heritage organisation

need to achieve?

What experience does the

technology offer?Audience

Mission

Technology

What is the audience doing

already/motivated to do?



What’s inside the shiny new grey box?

Can you communicate the experience over the functionality…

(now try without saying MORE INFORMATION)



Who’s your audience?Rarely does one size fit all

Motivation for visit•Families•Sightseers•Learners•Social groups•Experts

Level of experience with technology

Whether they have been before


There’s always been a fine line between audio experience design and audio content.

As with visual experience design, the line is getting finer.

They have made the effort to get off the sofa to come and experience – don’t let them down•They know when the content doesn’t meet their need•They don’t want to be distracted they want to be supported


• Develop products with a common cultural heritage need

• Understand the physical context of a visit

• Find out which elements are important to be unique

• Identify the experience over the functionality

• Design to specific audience motivations

• Remember you’re not the main attraction

What can we learn from digital heritage products?


e: [email protected]

e: [email protected]

t: @FranklyGW

Images thanks to Flickr Commons:

The hidden treasures of the Worlds Public Archives

http://www.flickr.com/commons

Created for: Presented by: Date issued:REACT Inspiration Day Lindsey Green 18th June 2012

everything changes: what can we learn from product development in mobile interpretation?

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