w2-3 - 1st draft annotation

ARDN808 // 11/03/26

1. Source (where did this source come from?)

Beale, G., Smith, N., Wilkins, T., Schofield, G., Hook, J., & Masinton, A. (2022). Digital Creativity and the Regional Museum: Experimental Collaboration at the Convergence of Immersive Media and Exhibition Design. J. Comput. Cult. Herit., 15(4), 78:1-78:23. https://doi.org/10.1145/3527620

Keywords (2-5): immersion, exhibition design, gamification, physical interaction, augmented reality

2. Summary (What is the source saying?)

Briefly describe the key idea(s) the source presents about the context. One or two sentences explaining the core message.

The source describes the development of two interactive, immersive experiences using a historic building (jail cell) as a venue with the aim of encouraging exploration of the space and its history. User testing highlighted the importance of physical objects for interaction, incorporating a game-like sense of play, and compared the use of modern technology (Augmented Reality [AR] with iPad) to a more familiar object (torch) to facilitate interaction and encourage spatial exploration.

3. Relevance (Why does it matter for my research?)

Explain how this source helps you understand the situation, people, environment, or issue your design research is addressing. How does it shape your understanding?

This source opened my eyes to the potential of using physical, multidimensional objects in interaction. Compared to a standard, smooth 2D touch interface (e.g. a touchscreen), 3D objects with varying textures may help enhance immersion and encourage further interaction and exploration. Additionally, the objects themselves can serve to communicate an aspect of the installation, contributing to the story or educational narrative being conveyed (e.g. a conch shell in an exhibit relating to the history of the person occupying the cell). Creating a feedback loop between an object and user, where the object triggers a change that the user can influence and respond to, encourages the user to evaluate the object in a new light and form a deeper connection to it.

The placement of interactive objects in the space also has a role to play: by distributing the objects intentionally around a space, people can be encouraged to move around and further explore their environment. This also extends to incorporating a gamified approach, where a sense of play further instils a motivation to interact and explore in the user. 

Finally, this paper revealed the limitations of AR-based interaction and immersion: the learning curve with the technology caused more anxiety in users and disrupted the flow of moving around the space, breaking the immersive experience and preventing users from further exploring the space and narrative. Additionally, the focus is drawn to the iPad rather than the space itself, further interrupting users from exploring their environment.

4. Connection to Design Decisions (How will it influence my research project?)

State what this context makes you consider, question, or change in your design approach. Does it affect your users, materials, processes, values, ethics, or priorities?

This context influences my perception of common extended reality technologies such as AR and Virtual Reality (VR) as it highlights their weaknesses with large audiences, pointing to a wider accessibility issue with their use in interactive installations. In contrast, the torch used in the other exhibit provided a very low barrier to operate through being analogous to non-digital technologies. As a result, I feel more inclined to focus on a publicly accessible approach, both in the space the installation occupies and in the technologies it uses (e.g. ensuring users don’t require any prior knowledge, finances, or modern technologies to access and interact with the work).

5. Reflection (What does this make me think about?)

A short personal insight. Write about something you noticed, questioned, or realised after reading, listening to or experiencing the source.

The concealing of more complex technology within a familiar object and using relevant objects as triggers within the interactive exhibit was especially insightful to me, demonstrating the potential for more accessible interactive installations with a low barrier of entry. The social performance and playful aspect of the exhibit, where users became both explorers of history and participants in a game, also revealed to me how a sense of play often, intentionally or not, has one of the strongest impacts on a user’s motivation to interact with an installation. Overall, considering the objects being used as interaction interfaces, their placement in the space the installation inhabits, and the sense of play that these interactions can instil will help guide my research direction moving forward, especially when considering accessibility and the use of public space.