mcn 2015: evaluating storyteller app: an interpretative guide using indoor location – becky sui...

Hello! I am Becky Sui Zhen @beckysuizhen

Producer, Designer & Musician

NOW…

Art Processors

Producer

THEN…

Museum Victoria

Multimedia Producer

Museum Victoria

Australia's largest public museum organisation, which operates three venues, Melbourne Museum, Immigration Museum and Scienceworks.

An agency that uses technology to change the way that people interact with space, we do that by creating engaging digital & mobile experiences.

Art Processors

My perspective: looking at the experience.

Goals

• Provide an intimate & personal experience

• To learn from this pilot project(in-gallery mobile experience)

• Physical and psychiatric injuries • Burden of war

• Lasting a lifetime • Modern constructive surgery

Why Love & Sorrow?

• Storyteller app • Intimate & Personal

• Enhance connection • Spatial constraints • Experiment with indoor

location

Why an app?

Love & Sorrow – Trailer

Trail of crumbs “Can you imagine spending 43 years in this bed?”

• You need the app • In-house devices

• Downloading on-site • iBeacons • Physical vs Digital

experience • Effectiveness?

Did it work?

• Download off-site: trailer, crumbs & gallery

• Download at onsite: trailer, some crumbs, gallery • Borrow in-house device: some crumbs, gallery

With more use-cases comes more problems that you need to test thoroughly and take time to perfect.

Inconsistent use-case

• Eight characters • Choose one • Personal • Progressive reveal

• Additional content • ‘Everybody moments’ • Intimate listening

• Before/After engagement

Storyteller app

• Eight characters • Multiple characters • Personal • Objects in realistic setting

• Contextual, thematic • Touch screen interactives • Immersive installation

• Farewell to descendants

In-gallery experience

• Storyteller? • Gallery multimedia?

• Touch screens (3) • Immersive installation

• Videos on screens • Labels and wall panels? • Objects?

Hierarchy of Content What’s taking the lead?

OPEN

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Beacon behind door

Beacons under screens

Beacon behind photoframe on mantel

Up high, on wall or case

In case or cabinet

Under or behind text panel

Behind wall or wall text panel

Near lighting

Beacon Maintenance

• Character content: linked to cases, with exceptions

Did we need these delivered on the app?

• ‘Everybody moments’: contextual & thematic linked to cases • Year/Statistical: overview content, did not link to cases

How did it impact the visitor experience?

Over categorising

GALLERY • Overview Character • Contextual, thematic • Yearly, statistical

DEVICE • Detailed Character content • A focus on audio experience

If I could re–categorise?

Example audio:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6t79ak8o341cs12/Janet_Mackenzie_Letter%20Ursula%20to%20Lil_12%20June%201919.m4a?dl=0

The good:

The bad:

• Codebase • Forced chronology impacted the locative awareness • Network drama • User interface testing

• BYOD vs In-house • Audio in-gallery, on device • Rasberry Pi triggering app

Technically Ambitious…

More info? @goawaygeek

Onboarding: Blockers

Help. The wifi isn’t working?

Which wifi?

Why can’t I access this at home?

Where can I rent a device?

Do I need this experience?

How do I turn bluetooth on?

What was our biggest problem?

It’s complicated.

Additional

Optional

BYOD or borrow

Can’t connect

Where’s bluetooth?

Too many chances to say no.

The stories

Audio from descendants

Letters & diaries

What was the biggest strength?

Could we have taken this further?

Reflecting: re-thinking resources…

• Fewer & better multimedia experiences

• Streamlined production

• Ownership, a long term vision

• Content wrangling

• Was there a missing role?

Content wrangling

1. Spreadsheet 2. DAM 3. eMU 4. Approval chain 5. Word Docs 6. Editing Rounds 7. Double handling when 8. entering into the app CMS

A need for more efficient processes.

Final thoughts

• Make decisions for the visitor

• Listen to the experts

• Focus on the strengths

• Design the service around it

• Mandatory, a must have

• Staff & ownership

• Make it easy!

• Simplify experience

• Leverage the device & missed opportunities

• Prioritise one type of content

• Remove BYOD

• Staff lead tours - make it easy!

The next steps for Storyteller:

Other WWI mobile experiences…

Thank you! :)

Becky Sui Zhen @beckysuizhen @artprocessors