Speaker: Luigina Ciolfi, Sheffield Hallam University

Luigina is a Reader in Communication at Sheffield Hallam University. She holds a Laurea (Univ. of Siena, Italy) and a PhD (Univ. of Limerick, Ireland) in Human-Computer Interaction, and has researched for many years the design and evaluation of interactive technologies for human use and enjoyment, with particular focus on situated interaction, collaboration and participation. Lui has worked on several national and international research projects on topics such as heritage technologies, interaction in public spaces and mobile and nomadic work, and has published extensively on these topics in international conferences and journals.

Title: Supporting material encounters at cultural heritage sites: the meSch Project

Cultural heritage technology has been a domain of study for HCI and Interaction Design for many years. Findings from a number of studies suggest that, however, technology can sometime distance visitors from heritage holdings rather than enabling people to establish deeper connections to what they see. Some examples of research have looked at designing tangible and embedded interactions for cultural heritage as a way to bridge the gap between digital information and physical artefacts. 

However, this kind of installations is still not very widespread at heritage sites due to costs, maintenance and design constraints. This talk will discuss current work on the EU project "meSch" (Material EncounterS with digital Cultural Heritage) aimed at creating a do-it-yourself platform for cultural heritage professionals to design interactive tangible computing installations. The co-design approach applied to the project will be described, together with examples of research by design and rapid prototyping of interaction concepts at a variety of heritage sites: archaeology and art museums, hands-on exploration centres and outdoor historical sites (including Sheffield General Cemetery).

Please email Rachel Finch to book your place.