Hidden Story is a project developed in cooperation with the app "Hidden" and the course "Nye medium" fall 2021 at Høgskulen i Volda.
The students decided to restrict the evaluation to focus on the category "kulturminner". This is the largest category, and the group assessed it is also the category that needs the biggest change or proposals for alternative gadgets. Their goal was not to reinvent Hidden, but rather work on the current state. Their main focus has been on how to improve the story telling as a whole.
In their own words, Hidden has great potential of succeeding in good storytelling. They've therefor decided to examine how the visual material could be more obvious, through pictures, illustrations and improving/updating the texts and audio readings.
A simple tool to bring more visual material into the app is simply adding pictures of the locations. The students did this at two different locations in the local area. Video, archived photos and illustrations could also bring more life into it. The way to strenghten the visual storytelling is also with the use of sound. By integrating an "on screen reading system", or have a recording of the texts beforehand and play it on location. This would make it more interesting to use and interact with the app.
Other imrpovements is a better interface. The group added a menu where you can get more information about the app and how to use it, along with other settings for the users to look through. The new interface would also not be a problem for the current map layout, but rather help make the app more user friendly.
Rewriting or adding good readable texts to the current points on the map will also make Hidden more exciting and engaging. Updating the visuals of the app will also make it more appealing for users!
Read more about Hidden Story here: Hidden Story
Les mer om hvordan Høgskolen i Volda har prøvd ut en ny undervisningsform som vi kaller "kritisk formativ evaluering" her
