Today, technologies such as VR and AR have been successfully implemented into exhibitions, and it has been accepted and appreciated by the general public. But if you think about the environment in which these technologies are presented in, aren’t those technologies very individual? For example, when using VR, YOU alone are the one experiencing the artwork through those VR-glasses, and when using AR, YOU are the one seeing whatever it is that you are seeing through a small device. And more often than not, aren’t you going to an exhibition with someone or at least, you’re not there in the exhibition alone, now are you?
It was with this point of view I decided, during my thesis course of getting my master degree, to study and further develop the user experience of holography, where I situated the phenomena within the field of art and art exhibitions.
The aim was to first get a grasp on the current attitudes towards the medium to then later re-design, or optimise it, experience wise. To do that, a two-phase user-study was conducted in a form of a design workshop, where the users (9 in total) got to interact and experience an early prototype of the medium in order to collect their thought and how they felt like it could be improved (from the standpoint of art exhibitions, that is). Below are two photos on what the simple yet powerful prototype looked like; as it is and in action.
Two photos of the prototype used in the design workshop.
With the workshop done to the last phase initiated, a mini-exhibition. The mini-exhibition consisted of a developed version of the hologram based on the finding and insights from the workshop based on these four components of product development and two takeaways regarding situated instances:
Spatiality: Since it was being perceived as physical, it immersed the user with its illusionary ability to occupy space, just as real objects do.
Realness: The nature of a hologram gives off the illusion of being physical with properties that imitates the real world.
Bodily Interaction: Due to it being perceived as “real”, one’s interactive behaviour instinctively triggers and one then acts upon these impressions.
Intriguing: Something which stems from human behaviour of being curious about new things and thereby invites positive engagement.
- One should not set any barriers for multiple, seamless opportunities for interaction since the hologram affords spatiality within a space where the probability of several people being in it is high, and ...
- One should make sure that not only the interaction is seamless, but also the attachments in which to enhance the holograms spatial properties, because if the hologram emits more sensory inputs that affect more than one person (i.e. by applying audio to the room in which the hologram is situated in) more can then benefit and experience the exhibition together, thereby creating a stronger sense of "togetherness".
A short video recording of what the developed prototype looked like in the mini-exhibition.
Conclusively, by excluding the technical and research heavy information (please, contact me if you are interested in knowing this), it was discovered that, from the early, static and "bland" hologram, the users wanted "more" that would benefit the experience even more if the characteristics the hologram perceives to have are emphasised(the four components). And by doing so, the experience, even though it was met with excitement and surprise in the workshop due to its low exposure in today's society, was enhanced and appreciated more since it provided more to the overall experience and even the sense of immersion.
