History Re-Experienced

How can the design of mixed reality systems be implemented in historic house museums to increase the experiential value of a visit?

Shadrick Addy MGXD 2018

As immersive technologies have become ubiquitous today, traditional museums are finding success augmenting existing exhibits to increase visitor satisfaction. For house museums, which place visitors in direct contact with historical artifacts, museum managers are seeking original approaches to sensitize visitors to cultural preservation. Implementing mixed reality in house museums is one such approach. This study developed and tested historical content delivered through augmented reality (AR), and suggests how designers might utilize mixed reality systems to create user experiences that align with the range of historical narratives found in house museums. Such experiences can contribute to improving visitor’s satisfaction, self-interpretation, and understanding of the original homeowner’s life and the community within which they lived. Building on user-centered design methods, the research included developing and testing an AR mobile application centered on the Pope House Museum in Raleigh, NC.

1 A visitor focuses her phone on the piano and a description appears on screen.

2 She accepts an invitation to view a virtual avatar playing a song of the period.

3 Hovering her camera over the dining table, she sees a meal prepared by the family.

4 The system prompts her to see what the parlor historically looked like with wallpaper.

A digital archive that utilizes time and space to communicate family stories as it relates to the self allows for adaptable and flexible experiences.