Fostering Virtual Heritage Experiences for the Elderly: Design Considerations for Inclusive Digital Heritage

This paper presents the results of a study which draws on a desk/ literature review, as well as on extended reality (XR)-related experiments with regard to fostering virtual heritage experiences for the elderly (FIREFLY project). Its main aim is to inform design considerations in relation to the adaptation of the XR applications’ user experience (UX) for the elderly. It ventures to achieve this goal, firstly, by reviewing (and revisiting) existing perceptions, methodologies and theoretical underpinnings that condition research on older users’ engagement with cultural heritage-related XR experiences. This study is moreover informed by experiment-based investigations on technology related issues that are seen as inextricably related to conceptual frameworks in this field. Thereby, this paper addresses methodological issues through applied research, mostly in two areas: identification of optimal XR UX features for elderly people, as well as optimization of data gathering methods, such as use of electroencephalography (EEG) experiment setups and emotion-related multimodal data collection for the evaluation of said XR applications’ effectiveness. This paper contributes towards a paradigm shift in perceptions of this demographic’s profiles, needs and strengths, as a fulcrum for more inclusive design approaches in digital heritage.