FrottarX: An Effortful Visual Logging and Reflection System to Support Embodied Engagement with Physical Exhibits

Visual logging tools such as cameras allow people to easily document physical objects, but their effortless nature often shifts attention toward recording rather than attentive observation, limiting engagement with the actual physical environments. We present FrottarX, a visual logging system developed through a Research-through-Design process to investigate how effortful, embodied interactions can enrich both on-site engagement and post-reflection with the exhibits. Building on an initial prototype, FrottarLog, which demonstrated how scrubbing-based embodied logging fosters attention and creative reinterpretation, FrottarX bridges its logging actions with embodied cues in the reflection phase. Two user studies showed that embodied logging encouraged more attentive observation, more diverse perspectives, and deeper reflection compared to conventional approaches. Our findings highlight effortful logging as a novel design strategy for connecting embodied engagement during encounters with physical exhibits and reflective engagement afterward, suggesting broader implications for experience documentation systems beyond museum contexts.