DESIGN CHALLENGES, CONTENT 
AND MEDIA TOOLS FOR 
CULTURAL HERITAGE 
A PERSONAL STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN 60 SLIDES 
#InnoDevTalk series, 12/2014 
Mario Chiesa
culture 
delight
What is culture? 
+ what Greeks called paideia 
+ what Latins called humanitas 
>> education due to the "fine arts" 
>> instrument for renewal of social and 
individual life (Age of Reason)
Culture in the social sense 
>> all the knowledge, beliefs, fantasies, ideologies, 
symbols, norms, values, etc. that result in patterns 
and techniques of activity typical of any society 
>> In synthesis: 
techniques and symbolic forms
Cultural resources dualisms 
>> the encyclopedia and the library 
on one side, 
>> the museum on the other 
>> in the digital: 
virtual museums and digital libraries
Dualism #1 
Museums 
- 
Libraries
Libraries 
Borges’s library of Babel
Libraries 
Google NC Data Center
Encyclopedies 
Encyclopedie de Diderot et d'Alembert
Encyclopedies 
Wikipedia
Dualism #2 
Preservation 
vs 
Dissemination
Preservation
Dissemination
Engagement
Dualism #3 
Tangible heritage 
vs 
Intangible heritage
Collections 
Wunderkammer - Cabinets of curiosities
Museums + Monuments 
British Museum
Events and traditions 
Ivrea’s carnival - Battle of the Oranges
Performing arts 
Festivals, gatherings, rituals, etc.
Dualism #4 
Physical 
vs 
Digital
Physical vs Digital 
With the digitalization we overcome 
limits and constrains due to the 
• the physicality of objects 
• spatial and temporal (presence) 
• preservation vs dissemination
Digitalization 
2D and 3D scanning, other recordings
Processing 
data mesh, modelling,
Physical vs Digital 
«digital master» Data architecture 
Digitalization Processing 
A value chain 
Distribution 
and fruition 
Integration Use 
and reuse 
Data 
management 
‘Native’ digital content 
3D CAD 
OCR 
Metadata 
Authoring Web and apps 
Integration AR / VR
Digitalization 
“The Digital Master“ 
“The digital equivalent”
Digitalization 
Fidelity 
?
Fidelity
Fidelity
Fidelity
Fidelity
Fidelity
Digital fidelity 
“The Digital Master“: 
• 2D and 3D scanning 
• Chemical and physical data 
• Type and quality of the master from: 
• Kind of object 
• SoA for acquisition 
• Economic constrains
Data preservation 
Data non-readable for: 
• Physical support deterioration 
• Readers not (more) functioning 
• Proprietary or undocumented 
formats or codecs 
• Undocumented business logic 
• Countermeasures: 
• Smart maintenance 
• «Long term»
Representability 
• “The digital equivalent” 
• Characteristic of the object to digitize 
• Availability of technology 
• Grade of fidelity of representation 
• Media 
• Media Constrains 
• Resolution, computational power, etc. 
• CommConstrains 
• Bandwith, latency, connectivity, etc.
Usability 
• Usability + Engagement 
• Usability vs representability 
• The digital equivalent as representation 
• faithful r. of a physical and/or real counterpart 
• of an onthologic reality (not current, 
controversial, etc.) 
• Usability can be a priority 
In an immersive environment, fluidity of movements is more important than 
resolution
Controversial
Edutainment 
• Playful experience 
• dissemination 
• tourism/ education 
• Philological approach 
• Scientific and historical strictness 
• Professionals and experts 
• “Gamification” e “Digital natives” 
• Educational approach 
• Interactivity
Storytelling
Interactivity 
• Critical factor 
• Limits of the interactive capabilities of platforms: 
• Due to UI metaphors and paradigms 
• Incompatible requirements and constrains 
• Opportunities for tech developments
Tech convergence 
• Need to stay connected to the SoA 
• Mobile devices with desktop performance 
• Ubiquitous connectivity 
• Internet of Things / Internet of Data 
• Online and onsite, locative media 
• Local context, personal fruitions, 
‘social’ meanings
Convergence
Evolution
ICT tools 
• Data architectures 
• Standards (Dublin Core e MAG) 
• Digital archives (SQL, NoSQL) 
• Use and reuse of content 
• UGC - User Generated Content 
• Web e social web 
• CMS
Findability 
• Attributes 
• Metadata 
• Relationships 
• ‘Social’ activities 
• Discussions 
• Sharing 
• Tag 
• “Spime” concept by Bruce Sterling 
applied to cultural heritage
Bruce Sterling
Physical vs Digital 
«digital master» Data architecture 
Digitalization Processing 
A workflow 
Distribution 
and fruition 
Integration Use 
and reuse 
Data 
management 
‘Native’ digital content 
3D CAD 
OCR 
Metadata 
Authoring Web and apps 
Integration AR / VR
Challenges #1 
• Extension of representability 
• Involvement of other senses 
• Representability of other attributes
Challenges #2 
• More interactivity 
• New interaction metaphors and paradigms, 
new visualizations 
• Better performances
Opportunities #1 
• Huge design space 
• New models for fruition and interaction 
• New models for museums and libraries 
• New roles: ‘Enablers’ vs tech experts
Opportunities #2 
• New roles: ‘Enablers’ vs tech experts 
• Interdisciplinarity required to understand: 
• Social role and educational values 
• Tech implications and consequences
Design space 
where’s the new frontier? 
just a sample…
Everything 
I saw the Aleph from every point and angle, 
and in the Aleph I saw the earth and in the earth 
the Aleph and in the Aleph the earth...
From anytime
Forever
Change scope 
Change timescale 
Change size 
Design space 
where’s the new frontier? 
Change perspective 
Change role 
Change mindset
Your choice ?
CONTATTI 
Mario Chiesa 
Head of Creativity and Design Innovation Unit 
Innovation Development Area 
chiesa@ismb.it 
@tangiblemind 
www.ismb.it

Design challenges, content and tools for cultural heritage

  • 1.
    DESIGN CHALLENGES, CONTENT AND MEDIA TOOLS FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE A PERSONAL STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN 60 SLIDES #InnoDevTalk series, 12/2014 Mario Chiesa
  • 3.
  • 4.
    What is culture? + what Greeks called paideia + what Latins called humanitas >> education due to the "fine arts" >> instrument for renewal of social and individual life (Age of Reason)
  • 5.
    Culture in thesocial sense >> all the knowledge, beliefs, fantasies, ideologies, symbols, norms, values, etc. that result in patterns and techniques of activity typical of any society >> In synthesis: techniques and symbolic forms
  • 6.
    Cultural resources dualisms >> the encyclopedia and the library on one side, >> the museum on the other >> in the digital: virtual museums and digital libraries
  • 7.
    Dualism #1 Museums - Libraries
  • 8.
  • 9.
  • 10.
    Encyclopedies Encyclopedie deDiderot et d'Alembert
  • 11.
  • 12.
    Dualism #2 Preservation vs Dissemination
  • 13.
  • 14.
  • 15.
  • 16.
    Dualism #3 Tangibleheritage vs Intangible heritage
  • 17.
    Collections Wunderkammer -Cabinets of curiosities
  • 18.
    Museums + Monuments British Museum
  • 19.
    Events and traditions Ivrea’s carnival - Battle of the Oranges
  • 20.
    Performing arts Festivals,gatherings, rituals, etc.
  • 21.
  • 22.
    Physical vs Digital With the digitalization we overcome limits and constrains due to the • the physicality of objects • spatial and temporal (presence) • preservation vs dissemination
  • 23.
    Digitalization 2D and3D scanning, other recordings
  • 24.
  • 25.
    Physical vs Digital «digital master» Data architecture Digitalization Processing A value chain Distribution and fruition Integration Use and reuse Data management ‘Native’ digital content 3D CAD OCR Metadata Authoring Web and apps Integration AR / VR
  • 26.
    Digitalization “The DigitalMaster“ “The digital equivalent”
  • 27.
  • 28.
  • 29.
  • 30.
  • 31.
  • 32.
  • 33.
    Digital fidelity “TheDigital Master“: • 2D and 3D scanning • Chemical and physical data • Type and quality of the master from: • Kind of object • SoA for acquisition • Economic constrains
  • 34.
    Data preservation Datanon-readable for: • Physical support deterioration • Readers not (more) functioning • Proprietary or undocumented formats or codecs • Undocumented business logic • Countermeasures: • Smart maintenance • «Long term»
  • 35.
    Representability • “Thedigital equivalent” • Characteristic of the object to digitize • Availability of technology • Grade of fidelity of representation • Media • Media Constrains • Resolution, computational power, etc. • CommConstrains • Bandwith, latency, connectivity, etc.
  • 36.
    Usability • Usability+ Engagement • Usability vs representability • The digital equivalent as representation • faithful r. of a physical and/or real counterpart • of an onthologic reality (not current, controversial, etc.) • Usability can be a priority In an immersive environment, fluidity of movements is more important than resolution
  • 37.
  • 38.
    Edutainment • Playfulexperience • dissemination • tourism/ education • Philological approach • Scientific and historical strictness • Professionals and experts • “Gamification” e “Digital natives” • Educational approach • Interactivity
  • 39.
  • 40.
    Interactivity • Criticalfactor • Limits of the interactive capabilities of platforms: • Due to UI metaphors and paradigms • Incompatible requirements and constrains • Opportunities for tech developments
  • 41.
    Tech convergence •Need to stay connected to the SoA • Mobile devices with desktop performance • Ubiquitous connectivity • Internet of Things / Internet of Data • Online and onsite, locative media • Local context, personal fruitions, ‘social’ meanings
  • 42.
  • 43.
  • 44.
    ICT tools •Data architectures • Standards (Dublin Core e MAG) • Digital archives (SQL, NoSQL) • Use and reuse of content • UGC - User Generated Content • Web e social web • CMS
  • 45.
    Findability • Attributes • Metadata • Relationships • ‘Social’ activities • Discussions • Sharing • Tag • “Spime” concept by Bruce Sterling applied to cultural heritage
  • 46.
  • 47.
    Physical vs Digital «digital master» Data architecture Digitalization Processing A workflow Distribution and fruition Integration Use and reuse Data management ‘Native’ digital content 3D CAD OCR Metadata Authoring Web and apps Integration AR / VR
  • 48.
    Challenges #1 •Extension of representability • Involvement of other senses • Representability of other attributes
  • 49.
    Challenges #2 •More interactivity • New interaction metaphors and paradigms, new visualizations • Better performances
  • 50.
    Opportunities #1 •Huge design space • New models for fruition and interaction • New models for museums and libraries • New roles: ‘Enablers’ vs tech experts
  • 51.
    Opportunities #2 •New roles: ‘Enablers’ vs tech experts • Interdisciplinarity required to understand: • Social role and educational values • Tech implications and consequences
  • 52.
    Design space where’sthe new frontier? just a sample…
  • 57.
    Everything I sawthe Aleph from every point and angle, and in the Aleph I saw the earth and in the earth the Aleph and in the Aleph the earth...
  • 58.
  • 59.
  • 60.
    Change scope Changetimescale Change size Design space where’s the new frontier? Change perspective Change role Change mindset
  • 61.
  • 62.
    CONTATTI Mario Chiesa Head of Creativity and Design Innovation Unit Innovation Development Area chiesa@ismb.it @tangiblemind www.ismb.it