THE DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING DIGITAL MEDIA TO ENGAGE VISITORS WITH NON-VISIBLE OUTDOOR HERITAGE Jennifer M. Wilkinson VOLUME I of 2 A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of De Montfort University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Art, Design and Humanities De Montfort University, Leicester June 2018 The Development of Guidelines for Designing Digital Media to Engage Visitors with Non-visible Outdoor Heritage Abstract This PhD investigates the role of digital media in optimising visitor engagement with non- visible outdoor heritage. Motivated by concerns that digital media products developed for the heritage sector might not be reaching their potential to enrich the visit experience and concerned about a lack of clarity as to what constitutes visitor engagement; this thesis proposes guidance for the production of interpretive digital media and a framework for visitor engagement. Cultural heritage sites featured in this study are characteristically outdoor locations; frequently non-stewarded with very little tangible evidence of the historical or cultural relevance of the site. The unique potential of digital media products to address the specific challenges of engaging visitors with invisible heritage in these locations is discussed within this thesis. The practice of interpreting heritage is investigated to identify the processes, stages, experiences and behavioural states associated with a high level of engagement. Visitor engagement is defined in this study as being a transformational experience in which the visitor’s emotional and/or cognitive relationship with the heritage is altered. This is achieved when the visitor sufficiently experiences appropriate states of engagement across all stages of the visitor engagement framework. This study proposes guidance to advise and support heritage professionals and their associated designers in the design, development and implementation of interpretive digital media products. Within this guide sits the engagement framework which proposes a framework for engagement, defining the stages (process) and the states (experiences and behaviours) of visitor engagement with cultural heritage. In using this resource the cultural heritage practitioner can be confident of their capacity to run and deliver interpretive digital media projects regardless of their expertise in design or technology. This thesis proposes that well designed interpretive digital media can optimise the engagement of visitors in ways which cannot be achieved by any other single method of ii interpretation. This PhD contributes a design guide and an engagement framework to the existing field of knowledge regarding interpretive digital design. Acknowledgements Throughout the six years of this PhD I have been fortunate to meet and work with many people, without whom this project would not have been possible. My appreciation goes to all those who contributed to this study including: • academic colleagues, supervisors, tutors and fellow students – thank you for your wisdom and guidance; • those who participated in the research studies and field tests, especially the ‘five’ who visited the Cultural Quarter and went to the ‘races’ – thank you for your time, your involvement, your comments and your thoughts; • the heritage practitioners and community groups I met with during the studies – thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences; • those I have met through work and at conferences – thank you for your suggestions and ideas, sometimes even the smallest of encounters can provide invaluable inspiration; • family and friends who have been steadfast with their support – thank you for you practical help, your love and your patience. Finally enormous thanks finally goes to specifically to three people who have accompanied me steadfastly throughout: my supervisor, Nick Higgett – thank you for all the guidance, support and opportunities to explore and present my research; my son – thank you for your honest and insightful reflections; and my husband – thank you for your practical involvement, unending patience and faithful endurance. iii Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iii Contents ........................................................................................................................................ iv Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ xii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... xiii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... xviii Contents 1 Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Background to the study ............................................................................................... 1-4 1.2.1 Context .................................................................................................................. 1-4 1.2.2 Motivation and problem identification ................................................................. 1-5 1.2.3 Relationship to previous work ............................................................................ 1-10 1.3 Main aims and objectives of the research .................................................................. 1-12 1.3.1 Aim ...................................................................................................................... 1-12 1.3.2 Objectives ............................................................................................................ 1-12 1.3.3 Research Questions............................................................................................. 1-13 1.4 Structure of the thesis ................................................................................................ 1-14 2 Chapter Two: Literature and Professional Practice Review ................................................ 2-17 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 2-17 2.2 Visitors and heritage ................................................................................................... 2-17 2.2.1 The visitor ............................................................................................................ 2-17 2.2.2 Visitor trends ....................................................................................................... 2-19 2.2.3 Museums and visitors ......................................................................................... 2-24 2.2.4 Visitor motivations .............................................................................................. 2-28 2.2.5 Visitor behaviours ............................................................................................... 2-30 2.2.6 Visitor Preferences .............................................................................................. 2-35 2.2.7 Summary of findings about visitors .................................................................... 2-38 2.3 Interpretation.............................................................................................................. 2-39 2.3.1 Principles of interpretation ................................................................................. 2-39 2.3.2 Models of museum learning ............................................................................... 2-40 2.3.3 Summary of findings about the interpretation ................................................... 2-45 2.4 Visitor engagement ..................................................................................................... 2-45 2.4.1 Defining engagement .......................................................................................... 2-46 iv 2.4.2 Engagement models ............................................................................................ 2-47 2.4.2.1 Summary of models and implications for this study ....................................... 2-56 2.4.3 The engagement experience ............................................................................... 2-57 2.4.3.1 Designing for engagement .............................................................................. 2-57 2.4.3.2 Measuring engagement ................................................................................... 2-57 2.4.3.3 Barriers to engagement ................................................................................... 2-59 2.4.4 Summary of findings about engagement ............................................................ 2-60 2.5 Digital Solutions ........................................................................................................... 2-60 2.5.1 Digital design for interpretation .......................................................................... 2-61 2.5.1.1 Models and frameworks for interpreting heritage ........................................