Title: Design and evaluation of mixed interactive museographic exhibits

Authors: Emmanuel Dubois; Christophe Bortolaso; Cédric Bach; Francis Duranthon; Anne Blanquer-Maumont

Addresses: IRIT, University of Toulouse, 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse Cedex 9 F-31062, France ' IRIT, University of Toulouse, 118 Route de Narbonne, Toulouse Cedex 9 F-31062, France ' Metapages, Inc. 12 grande rue Nazareth, Toulouse 31000, France ' LECP/Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, 35, 39, Allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse 31000, France ' LECP/Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, 35, 39, Allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse 31000, France

Abstract: This paper describes the four steps of a codesign process dedicated to the development of mixed interactive exhibits in Museums. The goal is to propose a well identified set of steps for accompanying the development of such systems, to document them and to suggest the most appropriate tools for each step. Based on a concrete design experience of a mixed interactive system in a museum, each step is illustrated and design decisions are highlighted with regards to the steps of the design process. A comparison of our codesign process with similar approaches applied in the field of interactive software engineering, participatory design or museum codesign is then performed; lessons learnt from the use of the process highlight benefits and limitations. Tightly coupled to this process, we then present different mechanisms and settings for evaluating visitors’ experience. Such mechanism involves lab and field activities requiring different methodologies and technical platforms. These formative evaluation activities are illustrated through some results of document-based usability inspections, user tests, field experiments and field studies. This paper reports lessons learnt and descriptive results of the prototype evaluations. Finally, we propose the ways for improving the use of codesign and evaluation of mixed interactive museographic exhibits.

Keywords: MISs; mixed interactive systems; tangible interaction; design methods; museum experiences; design process; evaluation; experiment; field experiment; field studies; museographic exhibits; participatory design; museum codesign.

DOI: 10.1504/IJART.2011.043441

International Journal of Arts and Technology, 2011 Vol.4 No.4, pp.408 - 441

Received: 25 Jan 2010
Accepted: 23 Jul 2010
Published online: 11 Jan 2015 *

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