Short answer
Designers should consider the user's journey and mobility experience as integral to the narrative and experiential design of historical trails and similar linear heritage projects.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (2020)
- Method
- Experimental and historical research, utilizing a novel method called 'hodology' for capturing mobile experiences.
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
National Historic Trails can be designed as intentional experiences that leverage mobility and landscape to create engaging narratives for users. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in eScholarship (California Digital Library). Using Experimental and historical research, utilizing a novel method called 'hodology' for capturing mobile experiences., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers should consider the user's journey and mobility experience as integral to the narrative and experiential design of historical trails and similar linear heritage projects.
National Historic Trails: Designing Experiential Narratives for Mobility
National Historic Trails can be designed as intentional experiences that leverage mobility and landscape to create engaging narratives for users.
eScholarship (California Digital Library) · 2020
Key Findings
- 01National Historic Trails are often invisible and their potential for user engagement is largely unrealized.
- 02These trails can be conceptualized as landscape-based memorial/narrative projects that offer unique mobility experiences.
- 03Existing theoretical frameworks can inform the design and understanding of these trails.
- 04A new method ('hodology') can be employed to study and capture the user's experience of mobility along these trails.
Application
Design takeaway
Designers should consider the user's journey and mobility experience as integral to the narrative and experiential design of historical trails and similar linear heritage projects.
How to apply
When designing public spaces, heritage sites, or even digital experiences that involve a journey or linear progression, consider how to intentionally shape the user's movement and perception to enhance the narrative and emotional impact.
Project actions
- 01Consider how to design a user's journey through a space, not just the space itself.
- 02Explore how narrative can be integrated into physical or digital pathways.
- 03Think about how different modes of transport or movement can influence user experience.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Addresses an under-researched area of design (linear heritage experiences).
- +Proposes and tests an innovative research method ('hodology').
- +Connects landscape design, history, and user experience.
Limitations
The 'hodology' method is novel and may require significant effort to implement and analyze effectively. The scope of National Historic Trails is very broad.
Reliability & validity
The validity of the 'hodology' method would need to be established through further research and comparison with other qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing user experience. The generalizability of findings from US National Historic Trails to other contexts may be limited.
Think critically
To what extent can the principles of designing National Historic Trails be applied to other forms of linear design, such as urban planning, wayfinding systems, or even digital user interfaces?
Design Principles
"Design linear heritage experiences to intentionally guide and enrich user mobility and narrative engagement."
This research highlights an under-explored area of design: the creation of linear, landscape-based experiences. By understanding how historical trails function as narrative projects and offer unique mobility experiences, designers can develop more immersive and meaningful public history initiatives.
What This Means for Your Design
Think of historical trails not just as paths, but as stories you can walk or travel through. Designers can make these journeys more interesting and meaningful by focusing on how people move and what they experience along the way.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to inform the design of a user journey or experiential narrative in your design project.
- 2.Consider applying principles of mobility geography to your project's spatial design.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research on National Historic Trails suggests that the design of linear heritage projects can be significantly enhanced by considering them as intentional experiences of mobility and narrative. By applying principles of mobility geography and developing methods to capture user experience, designers can create more impactful and engaging journeys through historical landscapes.
Source
eScholarship (California Digital Library)
Designing Retracement: Evaluating National Historic Trails as artifact, strategy, and experiment in flow
journal · 2020
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about national historic trails: designing experiential narratives for mobility?
- Designers should consider the user's journey and mobility experience as integral to the narrative and experiential design of historical trails and similar linear heritage projects. Evidence: eScholarship (California Digital Library) (2020).
- Why does "National Historic Trails: Designing Experiential Narratives for Mobility" matter for design?
- This research highlights an under-explored area of design: the creation of linear, landscape-based experiences. By understanding how historical trails function as narrative projects and offer unique mobility experiences, designers can develop more immersive and meaningful public history initiatives.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Designers should consider the user's journey and mobility experience as integral to the narrative and experiential design of historical trails and similar linear heritage projects.
- What were the main findings?
- National Historic Trails are often invisible and their potential for user engagement is largely unrealized.. These trails can be conceptualized as landscape-based memorial/narrative projects that offer unique mobility experiences.. Existing theoretical frameworks can inform the design and understanding of these trails.. A new method ('hodology') can be employed to study and capture the user's experience of mobility along these trails.
- What research method was used?
- Experimental and historical research, utilizing a novel method called 'hodology' for capturing mobile experiences..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2020 journal from eScholarship (California Digital Library).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing public spaces, heritage sites, or even digital experiences that involve a journey or linear progression, consider how to intentionally shape the user's movement and perception to enhance the narrative and emotional impact.
- What are the limitations?
- The research focuses specifically on US National Historic Trails, and the proposed 'hodology' method is experimental and requires further validation.