The Enthusiast, the Interested, the Sceptic, and the Cynic: Understanding User Experience and Perceived Value in Location-Based Cultural Heritage Games Through Qualitative and Sentiment Analysis

in Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage (2019), 12(1),

We discuss the user study of a mobile cultural heritage game, designed to stimulate reflection about a city’s history. Aided by location-aware technology, the game fosters the serendipitous discovery of ... [more ▼]

We discuss the user study of a mobile cultural heritage game, designed to stimulate reflection about a city’s history. Aided by location-aware technology, the game fosters the serendipitous discovery of Points-Of-Interest, historical images and stories, whilst players wander the city. This exploration differs from the typical pre-calculated path recommendations used by other location-based applications. It triggers reflection about the city’s past that is as unique as its visitors. Ours is one of the first studies to attempt an understanding of the effects of serendipitous urban discovery and historic reflection-triggering technologies on user experience. We combined field trials with controlled experiments, analysing perceptions of the experience and value using responses expressed in open-ended questionnaire items. Using thematic coding and sentiment analysis, we observed types of emotional responses, indicating four potential profiles of their likelihood towards future technology adoption. Enthusiastic and Interested users appreciated the freedom of movement choice that created an autonomous experience that fostered a sense of personal accomplishment. The interface interactions of the game, designed to stimulate reflection, supported a feeling of connectedness to others. In contrast, Cynical and Sceptical users were less tolerant of perceived technological issues, and required more perfection in functionality and design. These users are less likely to be the early adopters of serendipitous location-based apps. The game was developed as part of a large cultural informatics project, but unlike typical evaluations, we conducted this study midway through the project and not at its end. This approach (1) gave the team the possibility to take stock, pause and reflect and (2) provided insight on future design improvements for increasing the perceived value of serendipitous urban discovery applications. Our results contribute towards a grounded understanding of user experience, and help progress the development of cultural heritage applications that incorporate elements of reflection and/or place-based exploration into their functionalities. [less ▲]

Building Bridges Across Heritage Silos

Poster (2018, June)

This research considers how best to cross the divides that exist between: (1) disparate practices between research fields (2) disparate interpretations of shared cultural heritage by the public and (3 ... [more ▼]

This research considers how best to cross the divides that exist between: (1) disparate practices between research fields (2) disparate interpretations of shared cultural heritage by the public and (3) disparate cultural heritage objects. [less ▲]

Board Game Prototyping to Co-Design a Better Location-Based Digital Game

in Abstract book of the 2017 CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI EA '17 (2017)

In this case study we describe the iterative process of paper prototyping, using a board game, to co-design a location-based mobile application. The end goal of the application is to motivate reflection ... [more ▼]

In this case study we describe the iterative process of paper prototyping, using a board game, to co-design a location-based mobile application. The end goal of the application is to motivate reflection on historical topics about migration. The board game serves to capture the core concerns of this application by simulating movement through the city. Three play tests highlighted the users' interest and issues with the historical content, the way this content is represented, and the players' responses to the interactions and motivating mechanisms of the application. Results show that the board game helped capture important design preferences and problems, ensuring the improvement of our scenario. This feedback can help reduce development effort and implement a future technology prototype closer to the needs of our end users. [less ▲]