Use of 3D virtual models and physical replicas to enhance user experience within heritage applications

Museums are dedicated to preserving the legacy of the past and educating their visitors, both practices at odds with each other. The rise of multisensory experiences in museology has emphasized the use of touch as a pedagogical tool, but this risks destruction of precious museum objects. The art of3D printing has the potential to overcome this conservational barrier, but such applications are typically ad-hoc, with little design consideration. Furthermore, there is a lack of research into developing best practices for the creation of tangible 3D printed replicas. This thesis employed user experience (UX) methods from consumer industries with pragmatic mixed-methods in order to explore this issue. The research questions addressed a number of issues: 1) The perceptions of museum visitors in regard to 3D printed replicas; 2) The design considerations for replicas in order to provide positive UX for audiences; 3) How they can benefit museum audiences; 4) How they can benefit blind and partially-sighted (BPS) individuals; 5) How replication impacts wider museum practice; 6) How effective UX methods are in understanding museum audiences. Over the course of four studies, a number of key findings were elucidated: •Museum visitors expressed positivity towards the concept of tangible 3D printed replicas but had a limited understanding of it. •Preference was strongly dependant on verisimilitude, a one-dimensional requirement, while print quality was a must-be requirement. •BPS perception was reliant on multisensory interpretation. Object and material judgements were interrelated, highlighting the complex design problems in 3D printing for BPS audiences. •Replicating an object can result in unexpected insights, resulting in novel research opportunities. A set of best design practices were created and a number of emergent research topics highlighted that were unable to be fully explored. These included the preferences of younger visitors, empirical assessment of the impact of3D printed replicas and how print properties truly influence BPS perception