How to Choose the Right Interpretation Technologies to Tell Your Heritage Stories

19 Sep 2023

Creating a compelling heritage story lies at the heart of any great heritage experience, but once you have settled on a narrative, the challenge still remains: how to bring this story to life? In our digital age, new media and technologies are playing an increasingly important role in heritage interpretation and visitor experiences. This ever-growing collection of new interpretation technologies represents an exciting opportunity to modernise the heritage sector and engage new audiences, but at the same time, the sheer variety of novel technologies on offer can be overwhelming. Here, we offer you expert advice on how to choose the right interpretation technologies to tell your unique heritage story.

The first and most important thing to bear in mind is that technology is just a useful tool to deliver your heritage story. Amidst all the digital hype, it may be tempting to adopt a technology-centric approach, but really it is the story and the message you want to convey that should be at the core of any heritage experience. Technology is useful in so far as it helps to fulfil that goal. Accordingly, we recommend you consider these three key questions before you consider any specific interpretation technologies:

1. Who is your target audience?
Consider the demographic of your target audience (e.g. age, gender, education level, language background) and whether this group has any special needs or requirements in terms of user experience. For example, young children are likely to have less advanced reading skills than most adults, whereas senior citizens are more likely to struggle with digital literacy. These different needs should be reflected in the design of your heritage experience.

2. What is the desired type of experience?
Think about the type of mood or mindset you want to evoke in the visitor. Is the primary goal of this installation to be educational or entertaining? Of course, many heritage experiences blend both education and entertainment, but it is important to identify your priorities early in the planning process. 

3. What is the purpose of the installation?
Identify the key values or take-home message you wish to convey to your visitors. Depending on the subject matter at hand, a playful approach or a sense of sombre reflection might be more or less appropriate, and it is important that your use of interpretation technologies supports rather than undermines the installation’s purpose.

Once you’ve answered these questions, it’s time to consider technologies. This list outlines seven of the most popular novel interpretation technologies currently used in the heritage sector, and the most effective ways to use them.

• Augmented Reality (AR): AR technology adds digital layers to the physical world as viewed through a screen, so it is a good option for heritage sites where there are limited material remains. These remains can form the basis of an AR reconstruction allowing visitors to compare the site as it is today with how it once was. AR lends itself well to a mobile app, so it is also suitable for outdoor heritage sites with minimal infrastructure, and for interactive play-and-learn experiences. 
• Virtual Reality (VR): VR offers users a fully immersive digital experience, so it is particularly useful for informing visitors about heritage sites that are remote, inaccessible or inadvisable to visit, as well as sites with little or no physical remains. For example, visitors at Velenje Lake can don VR glasses to virtually descend to the bottom of the lake and explore the submerged village of Škale. Other possible applications of VR technology include interactive VR games - which are sure to be a hit with younger audiences - or for virtual tours, which, depending on the site, may offer users either a faithful reproduction of the site today or an immersive historical reconstruction.
• Immersion rooms:  Immersion rooms provide visitors with a 360° audio-visual experience. Whereas many other interpretation technologies focus on the individual experience, immersion rooms are best used to convey an atmosphere or feeling through a group experience. Immersion rooms are a popular format for digital art exhibitions, but they could also be used to create the feeling that visitors have been ‘transported’ back in time by surrounding them with the sites and sounds of the past.
• Object Recognition (OR) tables: OR tables are interactive touchscreen tables which recognize when specific objects are placed on the table and provide the user with related information. OR tables can integrate high-resolution images, videos, mini-games & graphics, so they are suitable for displaying complex information in diverse formats, from multiple perspectives, and/or in close detail. At Banovina Virštanj, for example, visitors can learn about the region and its winegrowing traditions in an engaging and interactive way by using the centre’s custom OR table. 
• Interactive walls/screens: Touchscreens are the most common form of interactive walls/screens, but they can also take the form of interactive projections, or incorporate other senses through the use of additional sensors, such as cameras and facial recognition. Because interactive screens are so widely used, visitors of all ages are likely to feel comfortable using them. Interactive screens can be used to animate objects, display interactive maps, or play games, making them highly versatile for heritage interpretation.
• Video mapping: Video mapping can transform objects and buildings into display surfaces for video projections. Accordingly, video mapping is most often used with objects that have a large surface area, such as the façade of a building. This large scale makes video mapping projections popular for outdoor instillations and events. Alternatively, video mapping can be used to project animations on to smaller objects, such as a model city, to demonstrate changes over time. 
• Holographic projections: Holographic projectors create an image that has 3D qualities but is actually flat. Holograms are therefore best used to demonstrate the 3D qualities of an object or to animate an object in 3D to make it more lifelike. 

Finally, it should be noted that while each of these technologies can be used individually, you should also consider combining different technologies, or digital and physical aspects, to create an overall experience that is even more impactful. For example, immersion rooms could be enhanced by including a VR component within an art installation, or holographic projections alongside interactive screens in a museum exhibition. With new technology comes the opportunity for new creativity. Through the use of these new interpretation technologies, you have the chance to tell your heritage story in ways that are more engaging, immersive, and interactive way than ever before.

For more inspiration on how to incorporation new technologies into your heritage story, visit the Tourism 4.0 website or take a look at the Heritage+ handbook.