Containers of Stories: using co-design and digital augmentation to empower the museum community and create novel experiences of heritage at a house museum

Abstract

This paper presents current research on the design and evaluation of tangible interaction within house museums – a particular type of heritage site. Containers of Stories was an interactive installation co-designed with the volunteers at the Bishops’ House museum, one of the few surviving Tudor buildings in Sheffield, UK. Dating from the 16th century, the house was turned into a museum in the 1970s for its historical and social importance and is now managed by a community of local volunteers who constantly needs to increase both visitors’ interest and awareness of the place for its survival. The experience of co-designing Containers of Stories pushed the volunteers beyond day-to-day management toward more creative and curatorial roles. This paper gives insights on how this hybrid physical-digital installation succeeded in engaging visitors in new ways with heritage that has the potential to strengthen the resilience of the community.