History Phone

This design project for client Ina Pruegel at the Fitzwilliam Museum evaluated the use of text conversation as a paradigm for engagement with objects in museum collections.

Design brief:

There are historic objects around the Gates building that have stories to tell - if only they could speak! Imagine walking up to one of the display cases (like the one to the right of the front door), and using your phone to start a chatbot session as if you were speaking to the object itself. We will provide Bluetooth location beacons so that an Android phone can detect which object it is near. Your application should respond to questions, and maintain a conversation, with style and content that is customised to each object. The project team will have a chance to visit some of the famous museums elsewhere in Cambridge, to learn how curators design interactive content.

Undergraduate group design projects