Nikolaj MApp is a location-based quiz developed for the Nikolaj Art Exhibition Hall. The app is similar to Mind the GApp but is designed to work generically for any of their exhibitions by simply changing the content and location of the installations.
The museum guide builds on Falk’s four types of museum guests and features four different quizzes, one for each type.
The players must find and examine the correct installation to answer the question. The questions are based on the avatars the players chose in the beginning, and the characteristics of the avatars are based on John Falk’s four museum visitor types.
My roles:
- Interaction design focusing on location-based and mobile-specific interactions.
- Programming, testing, and publishing the app.
Design space:
Create a versatile version of the app suitable for any art exhibition at Nikolaj Art Center. It should highlight the unique characteristics of the art hall, which is located in the attic of an old church. Ensure the guide is engaging and enjoyable for children and adolescent visitors.
Challenges
- Location-aware technologies are ineffective indoors.
- How can we create engaging exhibition content for children and adolescent visitors?
Solution
Inspired by Falk’s four types of museum guests, we developed four distinct quizzes. Each quiz featured questions specifically designed to ignite the curiosity of each guest type regarding the art pieces.
Instead of using location-aware technologies, we implemented a map of the exhibition hall, marking the positions of the art pieces. The questions were specific to each piece, so to answer them, the players had to look at it. This mechanic forced the players to walk around the exhibition hall and interact with the art pieces.
Evaluation
The guide worked well, the guests enjoyed themselves, and the content was engaging. However, the quiz made a very small contribution to the overall exhibition, and therefore, it did not provide sufficient content to meet the needs of a comprehensive guide. Nevertheless, it was a reasonably priced contribution to engage children and adolescents in critically appraising art installations. While the first version was tailored for the Space Invaders exhibition, the generic version had to accommodate other topics as well. Although the guide successfully highlights the unique art exhibition hall, the theme of the exhibition clearly plays a significant role in engaging children and adolescents.
The game was developed for iOS and Android and published in their app stores. A demo is no longer available.
© 2012 Kristine Haffgaard & Louise P. Matjeka
