A Location-Based Mobile Guide for Gamified Exploration, Audio Narrative and Visitor Social Interaction in Cultural Exhibitions

Abstract

Mobile guides comprise a valuable tool for cultural site visitors, as they may engage audiences in active exploration that enriches the cultural experience. This paper presents the design, development, and evaluation of a mobile guide app that features gamified exploration with exhibit recognition, audio narratives and co-located visitor encounters for a small-scale indoors exhibition space. The mobile guide-mediated experience is designed for selected exhibits and, at the same time, sustains a balance of user attention between the physical exhibition space and digital interactions. Self-guided visitors engage in locating and scanning exhibits with their mobile phone’s camera in order to unlock audio narratives. A “meet-and-greet” activity based on a favorite exhibit selection has been introduced to encourage social interaction between visitors. The mobile app has been developed for Android OS and makes use of ARCore functionality to enable exhibit recognition; the app has been published in Google Play. Findings from empirical field evaluation with expert users reveal a very positive user experience in which visitors engage with the mobile guide and can be more attentive to various items of the exhibition.