Play + pedgagogy
shipwrecks
Deconstructing “untouchable” maritime archives into a suite of tactile, “phygital” totems that transform flat digital data into a sensory-led discovery experience.
Plymouth Sound holds a rich maritime history, much of which is currently represented at The Box Museum through traditional glass-cased artifacts and touchscreens. While the archive is vast, my initial observation revealed a significant engagement gap: the physical artifacts remained “untouchable” behind glass, and the digital data was often bypassed by visitors.
The current delivery creates a spectator experience rather than an active one. With only a fraction of the digital map containing interactive data, the narrative feels static. My goal was to deconstruct this “untouchable” archive and re-house it within a Tactile Interface that encourages self-directed discovery.
This project was born out of a simple observation: in museums, we’re surrounded by incredible stories, but we’re told not to touch them. I wanted to see if I could use ‘Smart Objects’ to break that barrier.
Often, the biggest barrier to interactive design is the fear that ‘touch’ leads to damage or theft. This project was an exercise in shifting that perspective. I proved that we don’t need to put the artifact at risk to create a visceral connection; instead, we can embed the digital heart of a story within a bespoke ‘Smart Object’ designed to be held, tested, and explored.
This isn’t just about cool tech; it’s a blueprint for how we can make learning feel like a personal discovery again.
The Strategy Behind the Play
My research started at The Box Museum, where I used Ethogram Point Sampling to watch how people actually moved through the space. The results were clear: people are drawn to physical objects, but they often lose interest in screens.
Digital archives told through modes such as videos and audio are rich, but they often lack ‘agency’.
How to switch things up:
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Narrative is the Anchor: The narrative of the item has to be at the forefront of the exhibit, and the interactions should reflect the story at the heart of it. Otherwise, it’s just button-pressing.
- Agency over learning: through active participation, retention and interest in the topic soars. this is true across the generations as it feeds into the curiosity.
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Closing the Loop: Engagement happens when your physical actions—turning a dial or moving an object—directly reveal a new part of the narrative.
- Context aids learning: On/Off boarding can change if the information can be accessed and how well it is retained at the end.
Creative Process
Applying the framework to this project, I sought to explore ways that the narrative of the lure in shipwreck diving could be shared in a controlled environment.
Narrative
In presenting this information, I felt the narrative should be from the point of view of the participant is the diver, searching the water for evidence of shipwrecks.
Agency
The agency within diving would be to see evidence of the wreck, and the choice to investigate it more or if you know enough. Further, you could research the item in more depth once it comes out of the water.
Interaction
Divers interact with the wrecks through sight, touch and other micro senses such as weight, coldness (that are associated through touch).
Surprise
The surprise element comes from not knowing what you are likely to see or discover – the answers are not always evident at the beginning. Linked to agency, the uncovering of the information yourself adds to the dyanmic of the experience.
From this framework, I chose that the exhibit should:
- represent diving as a way to contextualise the information that it was presenting
- involve the gamification of ‘hide and seek’ to discover new information
- have hints to the information, but allow you to find out more if you want
Making it come to life
From defining the narrative lens that the exhibit is focussed through, the making of the prototype developed though user testing and experimentation.
1. Narrative Distillation & Totem Design
The challenge was to translate vast maritime data into a tactile alphabet. I developed a design language where the geometry of each totem reflects the “personality” of the vessel it represents. This “Phygital” translation ensures that the visitor’s first point of contact is intuitive, requiring no manual to understand that the object in their hand is the key to the story. This was a series of prototypes to tell the story of the Sunderland Flying boat to explore scale and tactility through Lego, Monster clay and 3D Printed elements.
2. Material Development & Casting
Moving from concept to public-facing object required rigorous material testing. While Jesmonite was used for rapid prototyping and weight-testing, the longer-term solution would be a resin. This was selected for it’s ability to hold fine iconographic detail while providing the industrial durability needed for a “submerged” exhibit environment.
3. The Interface: Submerged Map & Environment
To create a sense of discovery, I designed a scaled radar-style interface. By laser-etching the map into acrylic and utilizing peripheral green LED illumination, I created a visual “depth” that mimics sonar. This environment was designed specifically to break the “Museum Glaze,” physically inviting the visitor to reach into the narrative.
4. Responsive Content: Digital Archive
The digital layer consists of responsive 3D visualizations and archival footage. Rather than a linear video, the content is “unlocked” by the user’s agency. I deconstructed traditional archive files into dynamic assets that react to the presence of a specific totem, providing an immediate visual reward for physical exploration. This image tries to show how the ship ELk changed its name and purpose over the years.
5. Systems Integration: Arduino & NFC
The “magic” of the interaction is powered by an NFC-driven Arduino system. I engineered a waterproofed reader podium that identifies the unique tags embedded within each totem. This architecture was designed for low-friction onboarding, ensuring that the technology is invisible to the user while maintaining a robust “Play-Agency” loop.
This project established a core principle of my practice—that the hand can lead the mind. It proved that when we give users physical agency over digital data, we don’t just increase engagement; we increase narrative retention.
Gallery of making
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