Co-design to empower cultural heritage professionals as technology designers

Interactive technology has been long deployed at cultural heritage sites for a variety of purposes (education, guidance, research, etc.) and in a variety of forms (from touch screens, to mobile guides, etc.). However, while there has been an increasing attempt to make the visitor’s interaction with technology and with the site more active and participative, curators and other heritage professionals have not yet been fully engaged as designers of novel interactive experiences of heritage. Heritage technology has been traditionally designed and developed by specialists, whereas curators and other staff have been playing the role of informants at most. In this chapter we present a co-design approach for the design of technologies for museum and heritage professionals that we are currently exploring as part of the meSch project: meSch bridges the gap between visitors’ cultural heritage experiences on-site and on-line by providing a platform for the creation of tangible smart exhibits that enables heritage professionals to compose and realise physical artefacts enriched by digital content without the need for specialised technical knowledge. The meSch envisioning and realisation approach is grounded on principles of co-design, the broad participation of designers, developers and stakeholders into the process, and on a Do-It-Yourself philosophy to making and experimentation. Hands-on design and making workshops are employed throughout the project to inform and shape development. The ultimate goal of the project is to support the creation of an open community of cultural heritage institutions driving and sharing a new generation of physical/digital museum interactives