using visitor motivation to design digital interpretation

Frankly, Green + WebbCreated for: Presented by: Date issued:AHI Conference 2012 Alyson Webb 18th October 2012

Frankly, Green + WebbFrankly, Green + Webb

Digital Technology offers us a powerful set of tools

Frankly, Green + Webb

The choices can feel overwhelming:

•User owned devices?•Kiosks?•Mobile web or app?•QR codes?

Technology is changing fast and we can get very caught up in it


Who are we and how did we get here?


Audience

Motivations, Needs &

Expectations for Visit

Organisational Mission

Technology Capabilities

and Requirements

Audience Motivation to Use

Technology

Context


National Gallery ArtStart: Kiosks Designed to Support Visitor Planning and Learning

Intended to enable visitors to plan and personalise their visit

They can design & print their own trails through the collection,

ArtStart: text, audio, film, high res zoomable images

Visitors can choose from themes, search for detailed information


Expert Visits:

• Locate and identify ArtStart as providing a source of information

• Use on repeated visits

• Report very little impact on plans - they come with an existing plan but…

• Use ArtStart to support that planning and research

• Explore the paintings and specific details – use zoom extensively

• Can be critical of the system

Expert

Research


Repeat Social:

• ArtStart lacks appeal for Repeat Socials

• Less than a third report system affecting their enjoyment & understanding

• No dominant functionality of

screen used on the system by this group

• Use the museum as a sociable space, meeting friends in the cafes and browsing the collection.

Inspire

Activity

Repeat Socials

Research

Social


Perceptions & Motivations for Use: Natural History Museum of Utah

•Kiosk format appealed to children & teens but…

•They use it as opportunity to ‘show off’ in front of peers - more than 80% comments ‘spam’

•Older visitors failed to see kiosks as ‘for them’but…

•Open to engaging with challenging topics for discussion

“Talkback Stations” Designed to support dialogue


Denbighshire County Council: Digital Trails Project

Research & concept development to design a mobile service to widen access to heritage interpretation

in rural Denbighshire


Mission

Trails to achieve strategic goals

Appropriate for digitisation

Develops cultural heritage interpretation

Meet the needs of current visitors

Support Destination Management

Technology

Snack not Dine

In the field

Limited connectivity

Limited Battery

Mobile and Kiosk

Audiences

Culturally attracted

Independent

Families

Activity focused

Spontaneous


Audience

Mission

Technology

Concept design


Identifying the right technology

Which technology?

• Mobile web enables spontaneous access with lowest possible barriers

• Can’t rely on good connectivity everywhere so…

• Lightweight system

• Avoid experience relying on rich media

• Build access to wifi through partnerships with local businesses


Architecture Walking


WHSPontcysyllte+ Surrounding

Area

Kate Roberts

Storytelling

NaturalHistory

Photo

Place and Language

LandscapePhotography

ExpertReading the

Canal

Reading Buildings

Them

eResource

sActivitie

s

How it works?

Theme is an A4 trail with locations and interpretation

Activity is additional sheet

All can use existing assets

Print or save to phone (pdf, jpeg, mp3 or mp4)

Resources used across multiple themes

Each theme and activity has multiple tags

User chooses using ‘I like…’





Area

Kate Roberts

Storytelling

NaturalHistory

Photo

Place and Language


ExpertReading the

Canal

Reading Buildings

Them

eResource

sActivitie

sJen and Tim

Holiday Walking in Snowdonia

Tim is a lab technician and keen digital photographer believes WHS will offer good photo opportunity

Jen is a graphic designer



Area


Kate Roberts

Storytelling

NaturalHistory

Photo

Place and Language


ExpertReading the

Canal

Reading Buildings

Them

eResource

sActivitie

sSteve and Sue

Day trip to Llangollen – regular visitors

Stopped for tea & saw sign in café for “I like…”

Both keen on wildlife, Sue’s a big reader, have a life long learning habit


Mission

What does the cultural heritage organisation

need to achieve?

What experiences does the

technology offer?Audience

Mission

Technology

What is the audience doing

already/motivated to do?


1. Experience Design and Concept Development 2. Consultancy and Advice3. Service Design 4. Digital and Mobile Interpretation

Strategy5. Content Design and Strategy


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:AHI Conference 2012 Alyson Webb 18th October 2012

using visitor motivation to design digital interpretation

Education