Apps Within Apps

How many different types of experiences should one interactive media element offer?

Easy:

One.

It is temptingly easy for us to dream up interactives for our exhibition as if they are the laptops we use to plan it. A laptop can have hundreds of software applications in it. The more apps, the better. A personal computer is like a Swiss Army knife, but with infinite fold-out arms.

Interactive surfaces in exhibitions aren’t like that. Visitors don’t have time to learn features, don’t have a user manual, and don’t actually want infinity.

Each interactive experience should do one thing.

One.

Think of a media interactive like its interactive sister, a hands-on science station at a science center. Each demonstrates one phenomenon. The more time you spend, the more deeply you understand. But it’s one experience.

Follow the moving shadow on the wall to learn historic dance moves!

Assemble a playlist of music with one tempo, to take with you!

Try your hand at harder and harder hand drumming rhythms!

Those would all be good single-app interactives. But not apps within a single interactive station.

Here’s the thing:

Beware apps within apps.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Five-sided bonnet. A cube-like museum display case with four vertical glass or acrylic sides and a horizontal top panel, creating an enclosed viewing space. A five-sided bonnet protects artifacts while allowing visibility from all sides.