museumsandtheweb.com - user experience

The Future of Interactivity

bwyman — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 05:45:14 +0000

MW2012

Keywords:

user experience

Keywords:

interactivity

Keywords:

future

Abstract:

As storytellers that love content, Second Story is adept at implementing great technology to support engaging design. However, while we seek to push the limits of what's currently possible, we also look to the future of interactivity and what it means for user experience not only for museums but consumers in general. People are moving from traditional information consumption and in this paper / session, we'll look at a number of new trends and their implications for the future.

As we explore these trends, we'll use examples of our own work to demonstrate the scalability of content, new ways of using HTML5 for interactive installations, and changes in sensing technologies.

A sample preliminary outline:

* HCI will increase in prevalence

- less reliance on physical screens for points of interaction (proximity, rfid, nfc)

- think in terms of stories of interactions

- design for verbs, not nouns

- Objects have meaning in the world (transition beyond QR codes)

* Mobile / Tablets are about *personal* experiences

- not a portable form factor, but a personal form factor

- the most intimate scale of experience

- incredibly rich market / opportunity

- know your audience, android vs iOS .... Metro* Specific devices matter less

- expectation that an experience immediately exists across multiple platforms

- destination of content vs utility of experience

- shared code base works primarily w/o system UI widgets

* Web Technologies aren't just for the web

- HTML5 to power screen layouts

- passing information through javascript

- scaling experiences across multiple devices* All data is transportable

- interconnected services and experiences *expect* that data is transportable

- design systems that make it easy to expose data

- aggressively address privacy issues

* Users deeply integrate w/ content & readily share

- participation lowers marketing cost

- users draw deeper ties to content

Type:

Paper - in formal session

Digital strategy

Authors:

Bruce Wyman

Kinect Hacking: Sensing Spaces

bwyman — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:56:17 +0000

MW2012

Keywords:

interactive

Keywords:

user experience

Keywords:

hacking

Keywords:

sensing

Keywords:

kinect

Abstract:

This workshop will take a look at new trends in sensing technologies for immersive exhibits and environments. We will review a broad spectrum of interface techniques and technologies, comparing the relevant strengths, strategies, and weaknesses of each. We will also look at how these technologies can be integrated with frameworks such as Flash, Processing and OpenFrameworks and experience hands-on interaction using Microsoft's Kinect.

As part of a hands-on portion of the workshop, we'll focus on recent advancements in 3D depth sensing in which the introduction of Microsoft Kinect has changed the field, making a difficult process simple, affordable, and ready to be used in public settings. A live environment will allow attendees to play with depth data and skeletal tracking to fully understand how to best use the technology in different situations and scales.

Workshop materials will include a downloadable package of all software libraries discussed including source to sample projects with which to get started.

Type:

Workshop - full or half day

Authors:

Bruce Wyman

Situating Cultural Technologies Outdoors: Designing for Mobile Interpretation of Rock Art in Rural Britain

deborahmaxwell — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:43:11 +0000

MW2011

Areti Galani, Deborah Maxwell, Aron Mazel, Kate Sharpe, International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies, Newcastle University, United Kingdom

http://rockartmobile.wordpress.com/

Abstract

Mobile development and technology is the now, the here, the cutting edge. Rock art, or 'cup and ring' marks – abstract Neolithic and Early Bronze Age carvings in stone – is the past. This paper discusses the Rock Art Mobile Project (RAMP) which addresses the challenge of designing and delivering mobile interpretation to three rock art areas in Northumberland, UK. RAMP proposes a departure from the more traditional design approaches of delivering scientific content in the form of an archaeological mobile guide. It acknowledges that rock art interpretation requires a 'design space', which facilitates empathy between users and designers, and allows the existing archaeological content, the public's fascination with the 'cryptic' meaning of the rock art sites and the technological, environmental and personal situation of the user to be explored and to inspire technological development.

Keywords: experience-centred design, mobile, digital interpretation, design methods, user experience, outdoors

http://rockartmobile.wordpress.com

Program Item Reference:

Situating Cultural Technologies Outdoors: Design Methods for Mobile Interpretation of Rock Art in Rural Britain

Exploring Heritage in Participatory Culture: The MuseumApp

Dickvandijk — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:24:36 +0000

MW2011

Dick van Dijk, Waag Society, The Netherlands

http://www.waag.org

Abstract

The development of the MuseumApp in so-called 'Locative Labs' – a short, repetitive, interdisciplinary and intense collaboration, 2 days per week, for 6 weeks – took place in a unique meeting of curators, media professionals, concept developers and technical colleagues in the Amsterdam Museum and Waag Society. The joint development is based on experiment: rapid prototyping and testing of city tours; and on the spot content development. The Lab setting is one of the methods used by Waag Society to do creative research: explore interaction principles and demo innovative solutions in a real setting, with real stakeholders and real users.

The MuseumApp is a first step in creating a GPS-based, location aware heritage platform on which museums can create their own multimedia city tours and location-based games: connecting history and current events to locations in the city in an interactive and fun way, allowing the users to be the curators of their own experiences. They can also publish their own images, comments or suggestions related to the tour to other audiences on other (social) platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.

In the Labs the partners explore novel media practices as a new way to engage audiences with heritage. Connecting it to personal accounts and social network communities might help in getting more, new, different audiences meaningfully involved.

Keywords: locative media, social media, creative research, user experience, narrative

Program Item Reference:

The Amsterdam Museum App – exploring heritage in participatory culture

Audience+: A Holistic Approach to Developing Social Media Guidelines for Swiss Museums

Axel Vogelsang — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:37:52 +0000

MW2011

Axel Vogelsang and Bettina Minder, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, School of Art and Design, Switzerland

http://www.blog.hslu.ch/audienceplus

Abstract

The project ‘Audience+, Museums and the Participative Web’ investigates the challenges and opportunities for museums in the German-speaking part of Switzerland with regards to the use of digital social media. It is supported by the Organisation of Swiss museums and aims at developing best practice guidelines for Swiss museums. The guideline not only seeks to give hands-on guidance for the first steps but it also explains how social media can work beyond the role of mere marketing tool, opening up opportunities for a broader user experience. The data, information and insights supporting the research were generated through a diversity of methods, including a survey amongst Swiss museums, a series of workshops, and an extensive use of social media as part of the research process.

Keywords: Audience+, digital social media, user experience, social media, Switzerland

Program Item Reference:

Audience+: A holistic approach to developing social media guidelines for Swiss Museums.

Science LinX: the neXt level in augmenting science center Xperiences

Science LinX — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:14:25 +0000

MW2011

Published Paper:

Science LinX: the NeXt Level in Augmenting Science Center Xperiences

Keywords:

Science communication

Keywords:

teenagers

Keywords:

user experience

Keywords:

new media

Keywords:

physical and virtual

Keywords:

defining your target group

Abstract:

In recognizing its societal role as a research university and in facing an (inter)national decline in science students, the University of Groningen developed a successful outreach program to attract teenagers to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), even doubling its student numbers in STEM.

Science LinX, the science center of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, plays a pivotal role, linking formal to informal learning. The major task of Science LinX is to inspire hard to get teenagers with often hard to communicate cutting-edge science.

In our strategy we’ve experienced the usefulness of the BètaMentality Model, which maps the attitudes towards science and technology of teenagers and distinguishes four basic groups (High Techs, Career Techs, Curious Generalists and Non Techs). Combined with the learning theory of Kolb and Brainstyles Model, it gives us a grip in linking our physical and virtual activities in tailor made programs to the specific needs of each group.

Science LinX offers science activities, exhibits, expos, serous games, demonstrations, workshops, debates, speed dates with role models, science café’s and competitions, constantly combining the virtual with the physical. Science centre and website are set up simultaneously and in accordance with one another. To connect to the RL (Real Life) and SL (Screen Life) of teenagers, we’ve blurred the walls of our science centre even further, by participating with an Arts & Science pavilion at the yearly Performing Arts Festival in the city.

Like other science centres and musea we aim at the most effective mix of media and blended learning, generating a better image of science and technology towards teenagers. Often referred to as the Net-generation or Generation-Z: with preference for tweets and sound bites, low attention span, but also 2nd nature talent for problem solving and collaborating, seemingly controlling the world at their fingertips. We deliver them different types of unexpected and exciting user-experiences, and challenge them to hang out, mess around en geek out with science in the different informal learning spaces of Science LinX, according to the categories of the Digital Youth Project.

In our newest AR (Augmented Reality) exhibit, virtual researchers of our faculty hang out with teenagers who play the AR game. Meeting scientists in new ways like this, telling the stories of science in short text message formats, without loosing the scientific value, are new and Xperimental ways for Science LinX to investigate the new possible ways of bringing the hard to communicate scientific subjects like nano-technology, closer to the daily lives of our visitors. We’ll present a number of these examples, directly connected to the varying types of teenagers.

Type:

Paper - in formal session

Augmented Reality

Site:

http://www.rug.nl/sciencelinx

Authors:

Ingeborg Veldman

Tanja van der Woude

Bart van de Laar

Situating Cultural Technologies Outdoors: Design Methods for Mobile Interpretation of Rock Art in Rural Britain

deborahmaxwell — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:42:56 +0000

MW2011

Published Paper:

Situating Cultural Technologies Outdoors: Designing for Mobile Interpretation of Rock Art in Rural Britain

Keywords:

participatory design

Keywords:

mobile

Keywords:

digital interpretation

Keywords:

design methods

Keywords:

user experience

Keywords:

outdoors

Abstract:

Mobile development and technology is the now, the here, the cutting edge. Rock art, or ‘cup and ring’ marks – Neolithic and Early Bronze Age carvings in stone – is the past. Here then may be the greatest contrast between the old and the new, the immutable and the ever changing. Yet it is strangely appropriate that rock art and more specifically, the interpretation of rock art, explores the potential of mobile technology. Rock art in Northumberland, in the North East of Britain, is prolific and well documented in paper and online databases but is difficult for the non-expert or casual passerby to find or even be aware of. Occasionally registered as Scheduled Ancient Monuments, rock art panels are situated in the open landscape generally without convenient museums, heritage centres or indeed buildings nearby to house information or interpretation; furthermore, placing interpretation panels next to the carvings is not often an option due to conservation and complex land-owning and managing arrangements. The untapped benefits for mobile interpretation development in this context are immense; imagine non-intrusive, on-demand content delivered to personal handsets, which users already know how to use, to discover carved panels and find out more about them.

This paper discusses the Rock Art Mobile Project (RAMP), a twelve-month research project which addresses the challenge of designing and delivering mobile interpretation to three rock art areas in Northumberland. RAMP, however, moves away from the more traditional design approaches of delivering scientific content in the form of an archaeological mobile guide. It acknowledges that rock art interpretation requires a ‘design space’, which allows the existing archaeological content, the public’s fascination with the ‘cryptic’ meaning of the rock art sites and the technological, social and personal situation of the user to be understood and negotiated.

Drawing on research carried out in the first stage of this project, this paper develops two lines of enquiry by:

(a) Exploring logistical challenges in relation to environmental conditions, the interoperability of mobile devices and platforms, and the long-term sustainability of solutions. The advantages of using mobile technology in such a setting are tempered by the environmental challenges, such as patchy network signal and outdoor conditions (wind, rain and bright sunlight). Couple this with the mixed range of handsets and varied visitor experience with mobile technology, and no obvious technological solution presents itself.

(b) Discussing the methods used to elicit user experience, and specifically to understand the situated nature of users’ engagement with rock art in the social and wider landscape context. Three participatory design workshops were organised, with participants largely from the surrounding areas who had an interest in either rock art, archaeology, or the countryside.

These workshops, (informed by the ‘cultural probes’ design tradition), deliberately adopted a low-tech, informal approach, to elicit specific instances or memories of recent visits to rock art and the countryside, shifting away from perceived ‘truths’ or generalisations about user needs. Participants were taken on a site-visit and asked to reflect on their experience using a variety of media, including booklets with sample visual content, audio on mp3 players and written prompts on wooden lollipop sticks.

This paper reflects on the effectiveness of such a design approach and its ramifications for the development of mobile heritage applications which respond to the situation of their users and the constraints (and delights) of rural outdoors environments.

Type:

Paper - in formal session

Mobile and Geolocation Issues

Authors:

Areti Galani

Deborah Maxwell

Aron Mazel

Kate Sharpe

The Amsterdam Museum App – exploring heritage in participatory culture

Dickvandijk — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:35:11 +0000

MW2011

Published Paper:

Exploring Heritage in Participatory Culture: The MuseumApp

Keywords:

mobile technology

Keywords:

social media

Keywords:

creative research

Keywords:

user experience

Keywords:

narrative

Abstract:

People have always wanted to tell stories about their experiences and to connect to shared meaning and values. The advent of social media enforces this even more. At the same time our mobile phones are steadily turning into digital Swiss Army Knives full of informative, creative and social potential. To make sure the development of new tools and systems is “culture smart” and to explore how “mobile ready” cultural audiences are the Amsterdam Historical Museum (AHM), media lab Waag Society and cultural funder DOEN develop in close collaboration the Amsterdam Museum App.

Strengthening a visitor’s sense of place and context (the outside world, the city) to the museum experience — and therefore, connecting a living society with our formal heritage — means exploring the social dimensions of formal and informal heritage sites and creating new ways of engaging with an audience.

The Amsterdam Museum App is a first step in creating a GPS based, location aware heritage platform, in which museums can create their own multimedia city tours and location based games, that does just this: connecting history and current events to locations in the city in an interactive and fun way, allowing the users to be the curator of their own experience. Publishing their own images, comments or suggestions related to the tour to other audiences on other (social) platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. The core technology is a proven technical backbone (7scenes.com) publishing location based content to iPhone and Android devices, which is developed further in close collaboration with the project partners.

The development of the Museum App in so called ‘Locative Labs’ – a short, repetitive, interdisciplinary and intense collaboration, think 2 days per week, for 6 weeks - is a unique meeting of curators, media professionals, concept developers and technical colleagues in the AHM and Waag Society. The joint development is based on experiment: rapid prototyping and testing of city tours; and on the spot content development. The Lab setting is one of the methods used by Waag Society to do creative research: explore interaction principles and demo innovative solutions in a real setting, with real stakeholders and real users.

AHM will be the launching customer of the Museum App, after which the platform will be open to all cultural organizations. The Amsterdam Museum App will feature four interactive routes exploring the fundamental aspects of the city of Amsterdam, the creative, the entrepreneurial, the tolerant and the civic agency; connecting the outside experience closely to the narrative of the new permanent indoor exhibition Amsterdam in Close up (opening, May 2011).

In the Labs the partners explore novel social media practices as a new way to engage audiences with heritage. Connecting it to personal accounts and social network communities might help in getting (more / new / different) audiences meaningfully involved.

Type:

Paper - in formal session

User-Generated Community

Site:

http://www.waag.org/project/ahmlocativelab

Authors:

Dick van Dijk

Augmented Reality and the Museum Experience

mschavemaker — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:19:21 +0000

MW2011

Published Paper:

Augmented Reality and the Museum Experience

Keywords:

augmented reality

Keywords:

user experience

Keywords:

mobile technology

Keywords:

Storytelling in urban Realm

Keywords:

Future of Curating

Keywords:

contemporary art

Abstract:

In 2009 Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam started the project ARtours. This project investigates and produces augmented reality tours around the collection of the Stedelijk and modern art in general. The project aims at both indoor and outdoor applications:

Indoor as a replacement or addition to the classic audio tour.
Outdoor as a new experience and new interactions with modern art

In both instances not only the current collection is used but also new developed art forms and new narratives will be incorporated in the project.

The paper will describe the project in all its aspects. Ranging from AR technologies and AR mobile browsers to storytelling and enhancing the user experience inside and outside the museum. The two year project is halfway. Several pilots and its conclusions from this first period will be described. One of the pilots is ‘Ik op het museumplein’ (myself on the museum square). Virtual three dimensional art is presented on specific locations and accessible through the augmented reality browser Layar. Outside on the museum square in Amsterdam people with an Iphone or Adroid smart phone with Layar can walk around and engage with virtual art (virtual 3D objects and sound). Another pilot is a virtual art library. Again with the use of Layar users can borrow art objects from the museum and place these objects in the space around them. This pilot was conducted during the Lowlands music festival in the summer. A third pilot is the design tour. In an walk through the city of Amsterdam users can experience (interior, product, graphic) design in it’s context. Users can walk from one virtual object to another and learn more about the object and the place it is linked to.

The project focuses on a wide range of aspects such as technical, user experience, creation and management of information, indoor and outdoor, young and older audiences.

Type:

Paper - in formal session

Augmented Reality

Authors:

margriet schavemaker

Paul Stork

Hein Wils

Ebelien Pondaag

Bringing Visitors into Design and Design into the Visitor Experience

jkoepfler — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:54:10 +0000

MW2011

Keywords:

user experience

Keywords:

participatory design

Keywords:

design methods

Abstract:

Involving users in the design process has been shown to increase buy-in, reduce mistakes down the line, and increase overall return-on-investment. True user-centered design involves those users as stakeholders from the very beginning, during the concept and ideation phase. Time and money are often reasons people cite for waiting to involve their users in the design process, but there are inexpensive methods that can be done right on the museum floor or in a museum learning center with materials already available at many institutions.

In this half-day workshop we'll explore three fun methods for involving your museum visitors at the conceptual design phase:

bags of stuff (conceptual brainstorming and paper prototyping)
sticky notes (understanding action items from patterns of likes, dislikes, and improvements)
layered elaboration (asynchronous design across different user groups)

These methods have been used with kids and adults of all ages at the University of Maryland's HCI Lab as part of their KidsTeam group (http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/kiddesign/).

The first part of the workshop will be spent in an overview of the user-centered design process and its applications to design technology and interactives in museums. Next, participants will get their hands sticky by actively participating in the three methods. The workshop will conclude with a reflection on the design methods and a discussion for how they might be incorporated into existing activities for visitors. Participants are encouraged to come to this workshop ready to think outside of the box and wearing clothing that they don't mind getting a little messy.

Type:

Workshop - full or half day

Bringing Visitors into Design

Authors:

Jes Koepfler

The Museum Is Mobile: Cross-platform content design for audiences on the go

biblio — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:10:57 +0000

Proctor, N. (2010). The Museum Is Mobile: Cross-platform content design for audiences on the go. (Trant, Jennifer, David Bearman, Ed.).Museums and the Web.