Embodied Augmentation of Existing Video Exhibits: Reshaping Visitor Engagement Without Replacing the Screen

Sammanfattning

Augmenting an existing video exhibit through embodied interaction, this thesis investigates how small physical and digital interventions can reshape visitor engagement without replacing the screen. The study was conducted at a biological museum in Sweden and used a Research through Design approach to develop and test tangible, spatial, and temporal augmentation strategies around an existing natural science video exhibit. The findings show that engagement with screen-based exhibits is shaped not only by the video content, but also by how visitors are invited to approach, touch, wait, enter, and stay with the experience. The book-shaped artefact made the interaction feel more intentional and participatory, while also showing that tangible interaction needs clear invitation and reliable feedback. Spatial changes such as curtains and lighting supported focused attention but also created hesitation when the boundary felt unclear. Temporal cues helped communicate the video’s duration, although they worked best when they stayed peripheral rather than visually dominant. Overall, the thesis contributes design insights for lightweight embodied augmentation, showing how existing museum exhibits can be extended through careful attention to invitation, material meaning, spatial openness, and temporal clarity.