Any decision you're going to make about how to create computer
interactives is going to be the result of a number of factors
including, but not limited to, cost, ease of development, technical
prowess of in-house staff, originality of experience, educational
goal, and exhibit style.
I'd first argue, before pursuing the technology, that you want to
make sure that the educational / experience goal is actually best
served by using technology. Don't just do the tech because it's cool,
but because it best conveys an idea. Use technology to tell stories
or create the kinds of interactions that can't be done otherwise such
as a time-lapse experience, visualizing complex data, simulations,
and so forth. The cost of a physical interactive can often equal the
expense of a computer-based interactive, but it engages in a very
different, physical manner.
The cost discussions so far seem right to me and the economies
associated with different production methods. No matter what format
is used, always try to think of how the content and material might be
repurposed for other parts of the exhibit. Do the thinking ahead of
time to save money down the road. If a video production team is
making a short film for you, ask what it would take for them to also
process a web version of the film at the same time. If you have an
artist creating graphics for a kiosk, maybe get higher resolution
versions at the outset so they can be reused in print, etc.
The technical skills of staff shouldn't be undervalued in the
equation. Even though you may work with a vendor that backs their
work, having staff that understands what's going on and how it works
will make things easier. If you don't have the in-house resources, be
prepared to spend money on maintenance contracts and/or increased
down time when something doesn't work. On the other hand, your web
folk may love the opportunity to produce stuff for exhibits and
they'll be an order of magnitude cheaper than an outside firm,
depending upon the complexity.
Before you ever talk to an outside vendor, have an idea of what you
want done. Certainly, be open to their suggestions for improving the
experience, but have as much of the experience thought out ahead of
time as possible.
So, all that being said, I should drift back to the original question
about types of inetractives and their tradeoffs.
1. Browser-based interactives
The possibility of portability is nice here. Materials produced for a
browser based kiosk may be readily transportable to the web. However,
there is often a tradeoff in quality and speed going with this method
because of bandwidth limitations. It's easy and cheap to hack
together a bland web experience, it's expensive, and rightly so, to
get a really rich experience (like the work Second Story can do).
Also the way people interact with a museum kiosk is often different
than a home web setting and the experience needs to be designed
accordingly. Any of the browser plugins
(shockwave/flash/quicktime/etc) are good ways to make the experience
feel richer. Load times through browsers will be a bottleneck.
2. Application-based interactives
The more traditional Director / SuperCard / Hypercard based
experiences that have been done for years now. There's a huge
population of people doing this sort of work, so it's a buyer's
market.
3. Video interactives
Usually DVD based, but I've seen stuff run entirely off a computer.
You're not going to get much more than playback here because of the
limitations of the format. The primary cost here would be getting
good quality, well-edited video. The editing can really make or break
the format. You may be able to use the video produced in many ways,
though - on the web, in other interactives, shown at your theater,
etc.
4. Original programming
This is generally the most expensive option, but it's also the one
that creates the most original and captivating experiences. It's the
format that has the possibility of getting the visitor outside of a
little 15" touchscreen window. It's also often the hardest format to
have successfully developed.
Hope this helps a little bit. I can easily go into greater detail, if
anyone wants more information.
-bw.
--
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Bruce Wyman e: <[log in to unmask]>
Director of Creative Development v: 617.491.3184
Nearlife f: 617.354.4191
147 Sherman Street, Cambridge, MA 02140 w: <http://www.nearlife.com/>
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