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Virtual Places

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Playing with the Past

Part of the book series: Human-Computer Interaction Series ((HCIS))

Abstract

Chapter 3 deals with the key issue, of creating a meaningful sense of place. This chapter outlines limitations of the ‘cyberspace’ theorists’ notions of place and suggests how these limitations adversely affect virtual heritage environments. A fivefold description of different features of place that may be appropriate for virtual environments is proposed. These five features of place are summarized as:

  • Uniqueness of atmosphere, selection of artifacts et cetera.

  • Some places in nature have the ability to shock or overawe the spectator.

  • Memorable places have the power of evoking memories and associations.

  • Some places act as either stage or framework on which communal and individual activity can ‘take place’.

  • Communal places have the ability to identify and reflect individual participants.

Combing literature and various creative arts suggest various components that help create the above place-experiences. Embodiment and dynamic attenuating environmental features as well as phobic triggers; social embedding and cultural agency; place as an inscribable artifact; and causal feedback are all suggested. I note here that there is a danger in automatically simulating all of the above elements digitally.From the point of view of the designer, a roadmap for designing for three distinct audiences and intentions is instead suggested. The three types of environments are categorized as visualization-based, activity affording, or hermeneutically enriched. The last type of virtual environment is a new addition to the literature of place and cyberspace, and will be focused on, for the importance of place as a cultural site is a central concern in this book. For virtual heritage environments in particular, we need to have a clear and distinct idea of what place as a cultural site and the related sense of ‘cultural presence’ entails.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Creative Arts Auckland School of Design, Massey University, Auckland, North Shore Mail Centre, New Zealand

    Dr. Erik Champion

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  1. Dr. Erik Champion
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Correspondence to Erik Champion .

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Champion, E. (2010). Virtual Places. In: Playing with the Past. Human-Computer Interaction Series. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84996-501-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84996-501-9_3

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