mw2011: n. di blas +, a “smart” authoring and delivery tool for multichannel communication
DESCRIPTION
The recent proliferation of technologies and devices (including iPhone, iPad and alike) provides new perspectives for the use of multimedia applications for cultural heritage. Users are no more just sitting in front of their PC at home, but they also access multimedia information walking in the galleries or in archaeological parks, sitting in a cafeteria, driving a car, travelling on a train, etc. In addition, and most important, all the different devices and technologies are important, and institutions can’t anymore decide which are preferable for their users, who are free to choose according to their (permanent or temporary) needs. In relation to the above, this paper wants to raise two basic issues concerning: (1) effective authoring environments and (2) adaptation of content to different devices, technologies and situations of usage. The current generation of authoring environment is quite unsatisfactory. Many authoring tools are officially aimed at specific technologies for specific situations (for example, an iPhone in a gallery). Other tools are apparently aimed at multiple devices/technologies and multiple situations of usage, but they are actually biased towards a limited set of choices, especially as far as situations of usage are concerned (e.g. try to listen to a mobile guide for a gallery, while sitting at home) and their structure (information architecture) cannot be easily bended to fit new needs. a presentation from Museums and the Web 2011 (MW2011)TRANSCRIPT
A “SMART” AUTHORING AND DELIVERY TOOL FOR MULTI-CHANNEL COMMUNICATION
Presenting: Nicoletta Di Blas and Paolo Paolini
P. Campione – Museo delle culture (Lugano, Switzerland)N. Di Blas – Politecnico di Milano (Italy)M. Franciolli – Museo d’Arte (Lugano, Switzerland)M. Negrini – Università della Svizzera Italiana (Switzerland)P. Paolini - Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
Multi-channel or better: multi-version
“Same” application fitting: Different purposes
(During a visit, Before, After) Different “formats”
(catalogue, thematic tour, audio tour, relax and browse, ...) Different technologies
(PC, Tablet, Mobile, Multi-touch, …) Different “contexts”
Different user profiles
Multi-version IS desirable - 1 Permanent collection -> guided tour (virtual –
real) Podcast-> audio-guide Audio-guide -> post visit support Exhibition -> part of a library (e.g. Artbabble)
->: could become…
From the permanent collection…
Example: National Gallery of Washington – a work of art from PC
…to a virtual tour (the content is re-done from scratch)…
The same MM fragment can be delivered through different CHANNELS
How is the CONTEXT preserved?
Multi-version IS desirable - 2
A LOT of valuable content could survive in many forms
… where have all your exhibitions gone?
Multi-version: implications Multi-version implies:
1. Content re-use2. Content adaptation3. Multi-version authoring
1. Content re-use
Expanding the “offer” with low resources
The “same” content can be reused: Across technologies Across “formats” Across “contexts” …
2. Content adaptation
Tuning the content for the different usages Content tuning is almost inevitably needed It can be light or massive (expensive) Adaptation must be taken into consideration
from content creation
3. Multi-version authoring
One authoring effort and several versions! Not feasible 100% It can be approximated Quality of individual versions must be
matched against the benefits of multi-versions
Towards a possible SOLUTION
Main ingredients Content modelling
specifying semantics and roles of building blocks Adaptation
defining guidelines “case””solution” Authoring environment
Evolution of 1001stories, in order to make it fully multi-version
Content modellingUnderstanding the “role” of each fragment α-Alfa: a general cultural observation
e.g. “geometry is deeply rooted in Japanese artistic culture”
β-Beta: a general “factual” informatione.g. “albumen prints are obtained with eggs albumen and are easy to be painted over”
γ-Gamma: an interpretation of a factual informatione.g. “mountains’ profiles resemble triangles”
δ-Delta: a specific factual information about an exhibite.g. “there are mountains on a sequence of planes at different depths”
Additional practical information (π): Identification (what are we talking about) Context (why we are here) “where to go” …
Content modelling -example WEB Thematic narrative:
α, ß Catalogue:
γ, δ Thematic n. and
catalogue: interlinked
AUDIO-GUIDE Linear sequence:α, π, γ, δ, π, γ, δ, π, …
Content adaptation
Developing guidelines Carefully looking at artifacts (audio guides,
interactive guides, web sites,..) created by others
Solving our own problems, case by case, and then generalizing the solution
Authoring environment
1001stories Fully redesigned inside Easy authoring for each version Supporting “transformations” to generate
different versions Supporting content adaptation
A recent example
www.nipponlugano.ch 4 different exhibitions (all related to Japanese
culture) Ancient erotic prints, Albumen photography,
Gutai (a movement of the 50s), Araki (contemporary photography)
Fall-winter 2010, in Lugano
Conclusions
Needs are clear We are moving towards some
directions We would like to compare our
approach with others dealing with the same problem
CONTACT: [email protected]
We are looking for sharing and cooperation