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Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage

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A special issue of Multimodal Technologies and Interaction (ISSN 2414-4088).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2022) | Viewed by 40190

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Laura Maye

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Guest Editor

Human and People Centred Computing, University College Cork (UCC), College Rd, Cork, Ireland
Interests: human computer interaction; community design; co-design; heritage; museums; tangible interaction

Dr. Caroline Claisse

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Co-Guest Editor

Open Lab, School of Computing, Newcastle University, 1, Urban Sciences Building, Science Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5TG, UK
Interests: human computer interaction; co-creation; research through design; tangible interaction; cultural heritage; wellbeing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore theories, cases, methods, and technologies for supporting collaborative design (co-design) within and between communities in cultural heritage (including museums, libraries, galleries as well as citizens and collectives leading heritage initiatives).

Heritage institutions are increasingly adopting co-design approaches to connect with other heritage institutions and communities. Similarly, citizens and collectives are finding new means to lead and participate in heritage activities. There are open opportunities and challenges for implementing co-design initiatives in such contexts. A range of technologies (including connected, multimodal, multi-sensory technologies) is being used to sustain participation and collaboration between communities and institutions through crowdsourcing and citizen science activities. These technologies may enable distance collaboration, particularly in contexts where same place collaboration is difficult. The need to support collaborative design for and between communities in cultural heritage has become prominent during the pandemic, as new strategies are imperative to support these activities at a distance.

We hope to include many representations of communities in cultural heritage. Examples may comprise of libraries, local heritage sites, museums, archives, galleries, as well as the collective and citizen led initiatives which are geographical, imagined, demographic, or connected by interest. Topics can include, but are not limited to:

Methods and approaches to empower collaborative design within and between communities in cultural heritage: how do we support communities in heritage contexts designing in collaboration? How important is it to sustain this collaboration? What approaches support trust-building and engagement to maintain those connections? What methods can support these stakeholders in building shared understandings around technology, and how can technologies meet the needs of all parties involved?
Multimodal, multi-sensory, augmented, connected and other forms of technologies to facilitate co-design and co-creation of heritage: increasingly, we are adopting new technologies to enable participation and collaboration between citizens, collectives, heritage institutions, and other communities in cultural heritage. What role do these technologies play in supporting participative and collaborative design? How can the adoption of such technologies for enabling co-design be supported?
Co-creating technologies within and between communities in cultural heritage: what do we learn about the design of technology with communities in cultural heritage contexts? How does co-design inform new models, guidelines or frameworks of practice for heritage institutions, as well as citizen and collective led initiatives?
Theoretical and position papers: how do we present the landscape of co-design within or between communities in cultural heritage? Citizen-led initiatives and heritage institutions have needed to respond to the challenges posed by the pandemic. What do we know about these challenges now, that may impact how we support co-design in communities engaging in cultural heritage in the future?
Case studies of practicing co-design within and between communities in cultural heritage settings.

We invite authors to submit a short abstract (300-500 words) and a tentative title as an expression of interest. These will be reviewed by the Special Issue Editors. From reviewing the abstracts, the Special Issue Editors will select a range of abstracts and invite authors to submit feature papers with open access fees waived. In consultation with the Journal Managing Editor, we will select a list of qualified reviewers for this Special Issue.

Abstract submission (300-500 words) deadline: Friday October 1st, 2021, sent directly to Guest Editor Laura Maye ([email protected])
Feedback on abstract to authors (incl. Quick Reject): Friday October 22nd , 2021
The full paper submission deadline is Friday February 25th, 2022. We invite contributions from all of the community to submit a full paper. Selected authors from the abstract submission will be invited to submit a feature paper by this deadline with fees waived.

Dr. Laura Maye
Dr. Caroline Claisse
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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10 pages, 209 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Co-Design within and between Communities in Cultural Heritage: Current and Open Questions

by Laura Maye and Caroline Claisse

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2023, 7(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7010001 - 20 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2625

Abstract

In this Special Issue, we explore emerging theories, methods, and case studies focusing on co-design activities within and between communities in cultural heritage contexts [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

Research

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16 pages, 7879 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Replica Project: Co-Designing a Discovery Engine for Digital Art History

by Isabella di Lenardo

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2022, 6(11), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6110100 - 15 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1795

Abstract

This article explains how the Replica project is a particular case of different professionals coming together to achieve the digitization of a historical photographic archive, intersecting complementary knowledge specific to normally unconnected communities. In particular the community of Art History researchers, brought together here in relation to their common methodologies in the practice of visual pattern research, became protagonists in the construction of a specific tool, the Morphograph, to navigate through the archive’s photos. A specific research problem, the recognition of visual patterns migrating from one work to another, became the key to developing a new technology initially intended for a specific community of users, but with such a generic character in its approach that it could easily be made available to other uninformed users as learning by doing tools. The Morphograph tool also made it possible to demonstrate how, within a community, the partial expertise of individuality needs to be related to each other and benefits enormously from the knowledge densification mechanism made possible by the sharing. The digital context easily makes it possible to create tools that are specific in terms of content but generic in form that can be communicated and shared with even diverse and uninformed communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

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16 pages, 1800 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Collaborative Design in Kinetic Performance: Safeguarding the Uilleann Pipes through Inertial Motion Capture

by Philip I. Morris and Joan Ramon Rodriguez-Amat

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2022, 6(11), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6110097 - 7 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2637

Abstract

This paper explores the possibilities of motion capture as a tool to preserve and study Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) practices such as playing instruments. The Uilleann pipes are both an instrument and a culture with a now strong community following and recovering after being almost extinguished several times in Ireland. The playing and making of the Uilleann pipes was incorporated into the Representative list of the UNESCO Convention of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017. This experience was performed in collaboration with several Uillean pipe players who contributed at every stage of the performance recording with comments and orientation. Some of these comments were also later formally kept as interviews to the players. The technical capture of the movements was done using a Rokoko Smart suit and paired Smart gloves which the piper wears for the performance. The resulting motion file was then cleaned and redirected to Blender 3D, a community made software package that allows the incorporation of a renderable avatar that helps for the dissemination of the performance. This recording process, called Inertial system, allows performers to perform almost anywhere and to capture the movements of the players with good accuracy. This process of recording and collaboration with the community is a cost-effective solution that can be of particular interest for scholars as well as for cultural communities wishing to archive these practices quickly. This design of technology and collaborative recording allows for a round experience that combined the detail of the technically enhanced recording with the interpretive nuance of the player that enriches the capturing process with mentions to how it is ‘relatively’ comfortable for the player and how efficient it is in terms of resulting detail. This collaboratively designed experience also provides the three aspects of intangible heritage preservation: supports the community -who can learn from the resulting animation; helps situating the practice within the cultural practice of the community-as they are part of the process; and helps materialise the output permitting its digital cataloguing, archival, and storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

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19 pages, 638 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Contribution of Design Thinking to Museum Digital Transformation in Post-Pandemic Times

by Marco Mason

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2022, 6(9), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6090079 - 13 Sep 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 8839

Abstract

With this article, I would like to present a critical examination of my position on the role of design in museums by focusing on the influence of human-centred design practices (also known as design thinking) in the context of digital transformation in museums, a transformation that has been accelerated by two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions. The article aims to offer a set of propositions about the contribution of design thinking (DT) to the main challenges museums are facing in a moment of digital transformation. A rigorous evaluation of the value of DT on museums is beyond the scope of this article, however, there is a sufficient body of academic and professional literature to hypothesise the contribution of DT in addressing digital transformation challenges. My argumentation is supported by evidence from the literature review in the museum sector and academia. Firstly, through a critical examination of facts (museum initiatives during the pandemic) and a critical reflection of existing literature, I will identify a set of key museum challenges. Secondly, by critically looking at design literature, I will suggest a set of propositions by discussing the contribution of DT practices in addressing those challenges. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

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20 pages, 2196 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Framework for Stakeholders’ Involvement in Digital Productions for Cultural Heritage Tourism

by Licia Calvi, Jessika Weber-Sabil, Daniel Asmar and Xavi Socías Perez

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2022, 6(7), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6070052 - 27 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2992

Abstract

This paper proposes a new framework for the production and development of immersive and playful technologies in cultural heritage in which different stakeholders such as users and local communities are involved early on in the product development chain. We believe that an early stage of co-creation in the design process produces a clear understanding of what users struggle with, facilitates the creation of community ownership and helps in better defining the design challenge at hand. We show that adopting such a framework has several direct and indirect benefits, including a deeper sense of site and product ownership as direct benefits to the individual, and the creation and growth of tangential economies to the community. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

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38 pages, 4783 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Designing with Genius Loci: An Approach to Polyvocality in Interactive Heritage Interpretation

by Violeta Tsenova, Gavin Wood and David Kirk

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2022, 6(6), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6060041 - 24 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3862

Abstract

Co-design with communities interested in heritage has oriented itself towards designing for polyvocality to diversify the accepted knowledges, values and stories associated with heritage places. However, engagement with heritage theory has only recently been addressed in HCI design, resulting in some previous work reinforcing the same realities that designers set out to challenge. There is need for an approach that supports designers in heritage settings in working critically with polyvocality to capture values, knowledges, and authorised narratives and reflect on how these are negotiated and presented in the designs created. We contribute “Designing with Genius Loci” (DwGL)—our proposed approach to co-design for polyvocality. We conceptualised DwGL through long-term engagement with volunteers and staff at a UK heritage site. First, we used ongoing recruitment to incentivise participation. We held a series of making workshops to explore participants’ attitudes towards authorised narratives. We built participants’ commitments to collaboration by introducing the common goal of creating an interactive digital design. Finally, as we designed, we enacted our own commitments to the heritage research and to participants’ experiences. These four steps form the backbone of our proposed approach and serve as points of reflexivity. We applied DwGL to co-creating three designs: Un/Authorised View, SDH Palimpsest and Loci Stories, which we present in an annotated portfolio. Grounded in research through design, we reflect on working with the proposed approach and provide three lessons learned, guiding further research efforts in this design space: (1) creating a conversation between authorised and personal heritage stories; (2) designing using polyvocality negotiates voices; and (3) designs engender existing qualities and values. The proposed approach places polyvocality foremost in interactive heritage interpretation and facilitates valuable discussions between the designers and communities involved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

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26 pages, 2880 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Medievals and Moderns in Conversation: Co-Designing Creative Futures for Underused Historic Churches in Rural Communities

by Timothy J. Senior, Tom Metcalfe, Stuart McClean, Alexander Wilson, Simon Bowen, Marianne Ailes and Ed McGregor

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2022, 6(5), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6050040 - 18 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3181

Abstract

For many living in rural areas, the loss of traditional community assets and increased social fragmentation are a common feature of everyday life. The empty village church is a poignant symbol of these challenges; yet, these are sites that hold considerable potential for new placemaking solutions that respond to the needs of communities today. This means looking beyond “the traditional village church” to recognise a longer history of church adaptation and resilience within the lives of communities. In this paper we ask: how can co-design, projected through a Wicked problems and Clumsy solutions lens, help imagine new futures for communities and their historic churches today? Clumsy solutions consider a plurality of different perspectives on the nature of problems and their resolution to deliver more effective solutions with broad appeal. In the search for clumsiness, we turn to ‘long history’ and ‘slow technology’ for inspiration, uncovering deeper resonance with historical communities of place and anchoring that continuity within church sites themselves. Our paper demonstrates how Wicked/Clumsy thinking can account for the challenges faced by rural communities today, bootstrap co-design activities in the development of clumsy solutions, and uncover clumsiness in long history and slow technology dimensions—together laying the foundation for new placemaking strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

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30 pages, 5518 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Co-Designing the User Experience of Location-Based Games for a Network of Museums: Involving Cultural Heritage Professionals and Local Communities

by Panayiotis Koutsabasis, Konstantinos Partheniadis, Anna Gardeli, Panagiotis Vogiatzidakis, Vasiliki Nikolakopoulou, Pavlos Chatzigrigoriou, Spyros Vosinakis and Despina Elizabeth Filippidou

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2022, 6(5), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6050036 - 4 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5375

Abstract

The design of location-based games (LBGs) for cultural heritage should ensure the active participation and contribution of local communities and heritage professionals to achieve contextual relevance, importance, and content validity. This paper presents an approach and methods of the participatory and co-design of LBGs that promote awareness and learning about the intangible cultural heritage of craftsmanship and artisanal technology throughout a long-term project from sensitization to implementation. Following the design thinking process, we outline the participatory methods (and reflect on results and lessons learnt) of involving cultural heritage professionals, local communities, and visitors (users) of museums and cultural settlements, mainly: field visits, design workshops, field playtesting, and field studies. We discuss issues of participatory design that we experienced throughout the project such as participant centrality and representativeness, producing tangible output from meetings, co-creation of content via playtesting, and implications from the pandemic. This work contributes a case of participatory and co-design of LBGs for cultural heritage that is characterized by longevity and engagement throughout the design process for three LBGs of a museum network in different cultural sites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

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11 pages, 221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When Digital Doesn’t Work: Experiences of Co-Designing an Indigenous Community Museum

by Meghan Kelly and Simone Taffe

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2022, 6(5), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6050034 - 3 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2773

Abstract

The challenges to implement digital technologies in community-based projects are exposed in a case study co-designing an indigenous Community Museum, situated in the Kelabit Highlands of Borneo, Malaysia. Over a five-year period, this co-design project consisted of field trips, community engagements, and creating a documentary film and an inaugural exhibition in the newly constructed Kelabit Museum. This article highlights the limitations of digital technologies in museum contexts. Co-designing with stakeholders resulted in the decision to take a non-digital approach to the museum development to encourage greater community agency and prevent disengagement, as it incorporated heritage values in local community developments and cultural tourism plans. The findings demonstrate that community self-determination conflicted with preconceived outcomes, resulting in a need to re-evaluate the goals of the project. Instead, the ambition of cultural heritage preservation that maintained community participation emerged as the central goal. Removing the focus on a digital solution expanded community participation, which is a finding that should be used to frame other community cultural developments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

Other

Jump to: Editorial, Research

15 pages, 3512 KiB

Open AccessConcept Paper

Too Low Motivation, Too High Authority? Digital Media Support for Co-Curation in Local Cultural Heritage Communities

by Edith Blaschitz, Eva Mayr and Stefan Oppl

Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2022, 6(5), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti6050033 - 1 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3172

Abstract

Over the last decades, a shift towards participatory approaches could be observed in cultural heritage institutions. In co-curation processes, museums collaborate with public audiences to identify, select, prepare, and interpret cultural materials. This article focuses on the question how to engage and motivate local communities or individuals in rethinking dominant discourses or expert narratives regarding cultural heritage and bringing in their own experiences and knowledge. Based on four case studies of cultural co-curation, we delineate two basic challenges for this process: (1) Authority—even though museums strive to involve the public, there is still an imbalance in participation due to the museums’ authoritative status. (2) Motivation—participation in co-curation processes requires high levels of motivation, which are difficult to achieve. Based on the media synchronicity theory, we discuss which characteristics of new media technologies can be helpful to overcome these challenges. Media can increase awareness on counternarratives and blind spots in cultural collections. They can provide a setting where the participants can easily contribute, feel competent to do so, are empowered to rethink dominant discourses, develop a sense of relatedness with other contributors, and maintain autonomy in how and to which degree they engage in the discourse. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Co-Design Within and Between Communities in Cultural Heritage)

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