Keywords

1 Introduction

1.1 Human Side of HCI

Human-computer interaction concerns the communication between human and machine. Therefore it “draws supporting knowledge on both sides. On the machine side, techniques in computer graphics, operating systems, programming languages, and development environments are relevant. On the human side, communication theory, graphic and industrial design disciplines, linguistics, social sciences, cognitive psychology, and human performance are relevant. And, of course, human aspects such as emotions and feelings become relevant as well” [2]. However, the main stream HCI before emphasizes more on the machine side relating to science, technology and engineering. It is till recent decade, more focus shifts to human side, including design based on user behavior, context of using, socio-cultural factors, as well as experience [3]. HCI design is further identified in “multiple levels simultaneously - as technological artifacts, social facts, and cultural narratives” [4].

1.2 HCI for Exhibition Design

The shift of HCI from machine side to human side has also affected exhibition and museum design. HCI is no longer only recognized as advanced technological means, which brings fancy eye-catching effects without actual meaning. It is applied in the development of narrative, emotional and educational contents, which could facilitate more complex learning process. As learning is a dynamic process of acquiring information, knowledge and skills, HCI enables actively and socially engagement in knowledge building than passively reception [5]. Information and knowledge could be visualized, documented and communicated through exploration and interaction by various means, such as touch, vision, sound and smell [6, 7]. This process could be explained explicitly by Perry (1993)’s theory: physical engagement with exhibits (“hands-on”), intellectual engagement (“minds-on”), emotional engagement (affective reactions), and social engagement (e.g., discussion among visitors) [8]. Among all of the types of engagement, this paper mainly focuses on emotional engagement.

1.3 Emotional Engagement of HCI

Emotion is difficult to articulate and study as a result of its “context, volatile and ephemeral” attributes [9]. Emotional responses occur as a result of our reptilian and mammalian brains’ quickly function. It is called immediate “impressions and associations” [10]. Therefore, human is able to perceive and react to the overall virtual environments that they are situated, while specifically response to single sound, image, emoticons, and word simultaneously [10]. Since emotions, such as pleasure and fun have become important research topics within HCI fields [11], designers put more efforts in embedding emotional and metaphoric content with real objects, interface, and systems through combination of visual, audio, and physical experience [12]. By observing and experiment, designers understand how users build intuitive knowledge of the world by interacting with daily objects via watching, touching, playing, recognizing or perceiving and how they attach emotions and sensations to them [2]. Therefore, designers can create contents, which line up experience with emotional response more naturally and intuitively. One of the methods that used to evoke emotions is metaphor, as feelings are hard to interpret in words [2]. Metaphors could influence its users by tapping “into cultural, historic and emotional knowledge that we humans have built up in the course of our lives” [2]. Rokeby (1997) stated the effect of metaphor as it “borrows cliché’s from the culture but then reflects them back and reinforces them [13]. Hence, metaphors could be generated from socio-cultural knowledge that users are familiar with and the familiarity may trigger intense emotional response. This paper describes the process that how we uses local contents of Shek Kip Mei in Hong Kong to create metaphors in HCI for exhibition design, which encourage emotional engagement of visitors.

1.4 Shek Kip Mei Project

Shek Kip Mei (SKM) is a district in Hong Kong, where the first public housing programme was launched for the resettlement of refugees. The project is located in the first and only survival building of the programme in the region of SKM. It aims to recreate socio-cultural scenario in an exhibition that illustrates the daily life, living environment, tradition and the close bond of inhabitants around this unique spatial morphology. It also provides an insight to the social, economic, and cultural condition of Hong Kong from 1950s to1970s. The SKM project lasts for about one year from briefing to the opening. Multidisciplinary parties collaborate for it, including scholars, inhabitants, government officers, social organizations, designers, and IT specialists, etc.

2 Methods

In Mignonneau and Sommerer (2005)’s study, they identified a few questions that should be asked before creating emotional, intuitive and metaphoric interaction experience. These questions serve as important clues for the SKM project. The main purpose of the exhibition is for education, commemoration and heritage preservation. It allows non-trained visitors of different ages, social backgrounds and cultural knowledge to access with ease (Table 1).

Table 1. Clues for SKM exhibition design
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The design process could be divided into three stages, including documentation of information and knowledge, abstraction of representative elements, and conceptualization of metaphoric scenario. The three stages are illustrated with a diagram below (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.
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Stages of emotional engagement HCI design

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2.1 Documentation

As the aim of the project is to design emotional engagement between visitors and SKM socio-cultural heritage, the content requires certain level of accuracy and clarity to reflect the history. Therefore, at the beginning of the project, large amount of time is spent on the organization of various sources of data and information. Books, photos, videos, and documentaries relevant to SKM are collected and reviewed (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2.
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Historic research

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New information is generated from observation, interview and focus group with the help of Housing Authority, the Hong Kong government department and local inhabitants, social organizations and scholars. Researchers pay six visits to SKM to observe local environment, architectural features, and daily life of inhabitants. Their findings are captured by photos, videos, and memos, which are analyzed in data form. Interviews are conducted with local inhabitants to generate personal perspective about the history, the development of the region and life experience. All of the information, data, and facts acquired are organized and classified according to categories.

After documentation, a focus group with sixty participants is held to review the documented materials and give feedbacks. Participants clear the ambiguity, correct the errors and share new insights to enrich the contents. The focus group also enables different stakeholders to reach consensus about the main content that would be included in the exhibition design (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3.
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Interview, observation and focus group of local participants

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2.2 Abstraction

In abstraction stage, the documented materials are further consolidated as key events, important figures, high frequent daily activities, and stories (Fig. 4). Together they form a chain in timeline, which reflect the significant changes in the socio-cultural life of the region.

Fig. 4.
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Events, daily life and stories

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Among all of the stories and important events, several symbolic characters and metaphoric icons are abstracted. The characteristics include a firefighter, a housewife, a girl, an engineer, an old lady, and a traveler (Fig. 5). The metaphoric icons include iron frog, plastic flower, thermos bottle, washbowl, plastic ball, and jump house games, etc. (Fig. 6). These symbolic characters and metaphoric icons are abstracted as a result of highly relevance with key events and activities happen in 1950s–1970s. For instance, the firefighter appears in the storyline of the major fire in 1952, which led to the introduction of the first public housing programme in Hong Kong. While as most of SKM families live in a poor condition, housewives bear the burden of bred children as well as make money simultaneously. Therefore homemade plastic flower by housewives is very popular at that time. Many young children help their mother to make plastic flower, while they also enjoy outdoor games, such as jump house. A large portion of visitors may share similar memories, which could be recalled by the characters, icons, stories, and scenarios. This synergy could evoke emotional connection between visitor and the exhibits, also among visitors themselves. It arouses their empathy for the hard life, and inspire them with the persistency and optimisticism of inhabitants to conquer difficulty. If visitors do not know any background information about the exhibition, they may be curious about who and what they are. Both types of emotional engagement would reinforce the visiting experience.

Fig. 5.
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Key characters

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Fig. 6.
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Key metaphoric icons

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2.3 Conceptualization

At the stage of conceptualization, two forms of exhibition are discussed and confirmed: static exhibition and dynamic exhibition. The materials abstracted from the second stage are classified again in line with their nature to match with the two types of exhibition. The objective facts, figures, events are elaborated in static exhibition by narrative description, heritage artifact demonstration, video and photo display, full size realization and installation of living situation (Fig. 7). For instance, the timeline presents the development of SKM district since 1950s till now. The concrete pipe which is recycled from site are resituated in the exhibition to play documentary. The underline metaphor is that children before used concrete pipe as their playground for hide and seek. While the subjective stories, symbolic characters, and metaphoric icons are interwoven into the dynamic HCI exhibition (Fig. 8). Projector, sensors and touchscreens are applied to create an immersive environment and emotional experience for visitors. Based on the characters and icons abstracted at the second stages, several stories, activities are created to represent the daily life in SKM. For instance, how neighbors help each other in hard time, etc.

Fig. 7.
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Static exhibition

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Fig. 8.
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Dynamic exhibition

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3 Discussion

The SKM project attracts thousands of Hong Kong residents, travelers, and students to visit each year after its opening. Many middle aged and elder visitors reflect that the exhibition contents conveyed accurate, resourceful and meaningful information and knowledge, which is educational and memorable. The HCI design is very popular among young people, as it is interesting, attractive and thought-provoking. Young children cherish the better life they have today. The design process that this paper presents includes three stages: documentation, abstraction, and conceptualization. The process could also be applied in other socio-cultural HCI design project.