James Morley wrote:
Whilst 2D bar-codes and other new methods have their appeal, we have to
> think of the typical audience reading our signs. Likewise I personally love
> the idea of typing my email address into a screen and getting it to send me
> links that I then pick up at home, but we can't really do that under every
> tree. But each does have its use and potential application.
One idea (which I've only just thought of, so shoot me down if it makes no
sense) might be to encourage visitors to take photos of the interpretive
signs on their cameraphones as an aide-memoir for looking something up
online when they get home. This might seem pretty lo-fi, but it could be
fast, simple and accessible. And I imagine that lots of visitors are already
walking around Kew (especially the treetop walkway) with their mobiles in
their hands, taking pictures anyway.
It'd make even more sense in conjunction with your call for photos - you
could encourage people to take pictures of trees, followed by their sign, so
that they can be easily identified (I've seen visitors do this in museums
already). An alternative idea might be a more game-like mechanic where you
leave clues about, which people need to photograph in order to piece
together at home and then visit a webpage to solve. Or something.
I'll stop rambling now, but my point is that if you there's sufficient
reason for doing something, you don't necessarily have to wait for visitors
to have the technology of the future - they're already carrying around
audio/video mobile devices that can be creatively used. SMS, video
recording, voicemail, bluetooth, WAP and phonecalls all offer opportunities
too, if you keep it simple.
Frankie
Experience Designer, Rattle
http://www.rattlecentral.com
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