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Designing mobile technology for visitors

A game of snakes & ladders

Ben Gammon Consulting

Many ladders

Digital technology can provide

• Vastly more information– 10,000’s of words instead of 60

• In easily readable portions

• Under the control of the visitor– Search or browse

• Using wide range of media– Animation, audio, video, images, text …


Many ladders

Digital technology can provide

• High quality simulations of what cannot be experienced in the real world– Too fast/slow; too big/small; too expensive

• Game-play, problem-solving

• Capture & take away images, information


Many ladders

Mobile technology has all of these plus

• It’s ready to hand when needed

• Out of the way when not required

• A personalised experience

• A personalised record of visit

• Opportunities to interact with other visitors


But there are also snakes

• How do visitors react to the use of digital technology in museums?

• Can visitors make effective use of the technology?

• Does it distract attention from other exhibits?

• Does it disrupt social interaction?


Do visitors want digital technology?

• Emphatically yes!

• Some of the most popular exhibits– High attracting & holding power– Sandifer – technological novelty & open-

endedness associated with high attracting & holding power


Do visitors want digital technology?

• Wide-spread support– Among children & adults – In museums of science & technology– In art galleries & fine art museums

• And mobile technology?

• Yes but …


Can they use the technology?

• Yes - if appropriately designed

• Appropriate design?– Pacing– Quick to learn, intuitive to use (no lengthy

instruction)– Clear chain of cause & effect– Unhelpful ‘help’


Can they use mobile technology?

• Yes - if appropriately designed

• A seamless match between the virtual & the real– What I see & hear matches what is in front of

me

• Design provides a useful conceptual model

A useful conceptual model?

The hamster powered car!


Conceptual models for mobile technology

• An unhelpful conceptual model– The ghostly presence

of cassette tape audio guides


Problematic conceptual models

• Terminology– Bookmark or email?

• How it functions– Free or fee?

• Purpose of system– Introductory, complementary, supplementary

• Who is it for?


Does it distract attention?

• No

• Many examples of digital technology increasing engagement with objects– British Galleries at the V&A– Computer Information Points in the Energy

Hall and Nanotechnology exhibition at the Science Museum

– PDA guided tours at Tate Modern


Getting it to work with objects

For fixed kiosk exhibits

• Oriented so user can easily view object

• Purpose is clear to visitors– Introductory, supplementary or

complementary?– Location, orientation of terminals– Seating– Design & content of first few screens


Getting it to work with objects

For mobile technology

• Seamless match between virtual & real experience– What I see / hear matches what is in front of

me

• Content that directs attention to the objects


Disrupts social interaction?

• Yes - Sellen & Harper: The myth of the paperless office

• Museum visiting is a social activity

• Social interaction promotes learning– Scaffolding children’s learning– Consolidating ideas– Bringing misconceptions to the surface– Importance of disagreement


Disrupts social interaction?

• Less conversation … sometimes– Compelling experience– Ease of use

• But sometimes more!– No inherent barrier to social interaction

• Gelman et al. – computer label as aid to parental support

• Eberbach & Crowley – more conversation (of certain type) at computer than at real plant– Amplified scale, reduced complexity, ability to repeat

experience


And mobile technology?

• Two major potential barriers to social interaction

• Ear-pieces / head-phones

• Not being able to co-ordinate actions with companion– “Like going to a party

& reading a book”


But …

• Not necessarily

• The Sotto Voce project (Woodruff et al)

• An innovative hand-held digital audio guide at the Filoli Historic House, Woodside, CA– http://www.archimuse.com/mw2002/papers/w

oodruff/woodruff.html

http://www.archimuse.com/mw2002/papers/woodruff/woodruff.html

http://www.archimuse.com/mw2002/papers/woodruff/woodruff.html


The Sotto Voce project

• Close match between virtual & real experience• Audio broken into short sections (6-27 seconds)• Single ear-piece headset• ‘Eavesdropping’ facility over WLAN• Found improved social interaction compared to

traditional audio guide

Finding the ladders, avoiding the snakes

Developing mobile technology that works for visitors


Object & label

Device 1 Device 2

Visitor Companion

Other Visitors

Each line could bea snake or a ladder.It all depends on thedesign of the system