An App For Heritage: DigiMacq

Abstract

Mobile phones and music devices are no longer restricted to a limited set of voice call features. Today, the mobile device is capable of a huge variety of functions now that the platforms have been opened up to application developers and a business distribution model is in place. This provides an opportunity to deliver interactive multimedia experiences to a huge audience that spans several demographics. DigiMacq, a mobile heritage experience is an example of the next generation of interactives that delivers historic themes on a mobile device. The project was developed in conjunction with Parramatta City Council as part of the Lachlan Macquarie bicentennial in 2010. The content consists of stories that are based around events and people who were part of colonial Parramatta and provides sign-based clues physically located at six places around the city, corresponding to relevant heritage sites. The clues are used to unlock media content that tell a story that is connected to the place. This project sets the scene for how engineering heritage can be brought to life and to a younger audience using the next generation of mobile devices.