Digital Heritage & HCI
Dancing through Time: An Interactive Installation to Discover a Dance Audiovisual Archive
This research presents 'Dancing through Time,' an interactive installation designed to enhance the discoverability of the Prix de Lausanne dance archive, spanning over 51 years. The installation features a 4k-touch screen on a 12-meter rail, allowing users to navigate chronologically and via other axes like country or performance. Extensive user evaluations and interaction log analyses revealed high user experience and engagement, validated the utility of diverse navigation modes (global search vs. local browsing), and identified distinct user interaction behaviors. The study confirms that interactive installations in situated contexts foster social engagement and provide novel ways to explore cultural heritage archives.
Executive Impact & Key Metrics
By leveraging interactive installations for cultural heritage, organizations can significantly boost engagement, accessibility, and the social impact of their archives. Here are the key findings:
Deep Analysis & Enterprise Applications
Select a topic to dive deeper, then explore the specific findings from the research, rebuilt as interactive, enterprise-focused modules.
The study successfully demonstrates how interactive installations can make vast cultural heritage archives, particularly performing arts, intuitively accessible and engaging for the general public, moving beyond traditional query-based interfaces. This approach transforms passive viewing into active discovery.
Interactive Installations for Cultural Heritage Access
Intuitive Access Bridging Archives to AudiencesThe 'Linear Navigator' with its 4k-touch screen on a 12-meter rail, combined with both 'global' (Navigation Menu with axes like year, country, performance) and 'local' (sequential browsing) navigation modes, effectively caters to different user exploration preferences and enhances discoverability.
Multi-Modal Navigation Design
Receiving prior instructions significantly impacted User Engagement (UES), Aesthetic Appeal (AE), and Perceived Usability (PU), with instructed users reporting higher scores. This suggests that while intuitive, a brief onboarding enhances the initial user experience.
| Metric | With Instructions (Mean Score) | Without Instructions (Mean Score) | Significant Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| User Experience (UX) | 4.18 | 4.08 | No |
| User Engagement (UES) | 4.42 | 4.00 | Yes |
| Aesthetic Appeal (AE) | 4.56 | 4.09 | Yes |
| Perceived Usability (PU) | 4.27 | 3.72 | Yes |
Analysis of interaction logs identified five distinct user clusters, ranging from focused viewing of single searched videos to extensive exploration across all functionalities and navigation modes. This highlights the installation's ability to support varied user engagement strategies.
Case Study: Understanding User Journeys
Challenge: To cater to diverse visitor preferences in exploring a large audiovisual archive and prevent 'dark archives'.
Solution: Implemented multi-modal navigation (global search & local browsing) and alternative visualizations within 'Dancing through Time'.
Outcome: Users exhibited varied behaviors, from quick focused searches to extensive, multi-functional exploration, demonstrating effective discoverability and sustained engagement for different user types.
The interactive installation fostered social dynamics, with 80% of users interacting with others, often observing and discussing performances together. This collective engagement enriches the cultural experience, transforming individual interaction into a shared event.
Social Interaction and Shared Experience
80% Shared User Social Interaction RateCalculate Your Organization's Potential ROI
Estimate the potential operational savings and efficiency gains for your organization by implementing similar interactive digital archive solutions. AI-driven content organization and intuitive access can significantly reduce manual retrieval times and enhance public engagement.
Our Proven 5-Phase Implementation Roadmap
Our structured approach ensures a smooth transition and successful integration of AI solutions into your enterprise.
Phase 1: Archival Digitization & Metadata
Initial stage focuses on digitizing existing physical archives and enriching digital content with comprehensive metadata for enhanced discoverability and categorization.
Phase 2: Interactive System Design
Developing the user interface and interaction models, including multi-modal navigation and dynamic content presentation tailored for large datasets.
Phase 3: AI Integration & Content Processing
Implementing AI for content analysis, automated tagging, and generating alternative visualizations to deepen user engagement and provide unique perspectives.
Phase 4: Pilot Deployment & User Evaluation
Deploying the interactive installation in a real-world, situated context for extensive user testing and feedback collection to refine usability and effectiveness.
Phase 5: Scaled Deployment & Ongoing Support
Full deployment across target locations, with continuous monitoring, content updates, and technical support to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.
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