“Fragments of Laura” is a mobile app that gives users the chance to discover seven specific locations of Funchal through storytelling. Developed by a multidisciplinary team, this project’s goal it is to enhance the tourists’ experience, providing them with an entertaining way to explore some of Funchal locations and learn about Madeiran culture.
Platform: Android, Google Cardboard, Google Tango Timespan: November 2015 – October 2019 Role: Research Assistant, Experience Designer, Programmer Team: Mara Dionísio, Sandra Olim, Rui Trindade, Dina Dionísio, Duarte Teixeira, Eduardo Câmara Gomes, Ana Bettencourt, Valentina Nisi and Paulo Bala
“Fragments of Laura” is a fictional narrative delivered to its audience through a custom made location- aware mobile application. The narrative is presented in audiovisual content (2D motion comics) and interactive virtual reality scenes, and it promotes the exploration of some city landmarks while providing key information about the natural heritage of the island. At the end of each plot point, a teaser video interview with local scientists and inhabitants is offered to put the audience in touch with real events and facts about Madeira. The complete version of these interviews can be viewed on Fragments of Laura Website.
“Fragments of Laura” was developed as part of the Beanstalk project. As an initial member of project, I collaborated on the conceptualisation and writing of the story. Additionally, I developed an interactive 360º scene for different platforms (smartphone, Google Cardboard compatible devices, and Google Tango). Furthermore, as a research assistant, I collaborated on the dissemination of the project through the following publications.
Publications:
Dionísio, Mara; Bala, Paulo; Nisi, Valentina; Câmara, Sandra
@inproceedings{dionisio_step_2017,
title = {Step by Step: Evaluating Navigation Styles in Mixed Reality Entertainment Experience},
author = {Mara Dion\'{i}sio and Paulo Bala and Valentina Nisi and Ian Oakley and Nuno Nunes},
url = {https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-76270-8_3},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-76270-8_3},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
booktitle = {International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment},
pages = {32--45},
publisher = {Springer, Cham},
abstract = {The availability of depth sensing technology in smartphones and tablets adds spatial awareness as an interaction modality to mobile entertainment experiences and showcases the potential of Mixed Reality (MR) for creating immersive and engaging experiences in real world contexts. However, the lack of design knowledge about interactions within MR represents a barrier to creating effective entertainment experiences. Faced with this challenge, we contribute a study of three navigation styles (NS) for MR experiences shown on a handheld device. The navigation styles range from fully virtual, through a mixed style that involves both on-screen and in-world activity, to fully real navigation. Our findings suggest that when designing an MR experience, the navigation style deployed should reflect the context, content and required interactions. For our MR experience, “The Old Pharmacy”, with its specific content, context and required interactions, results show that navigation styles relying on in-world activity leads to higher levels of Presence, Immersion and Flow.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The availability of depth sensing technology in smartphones and tablets adds spatial awareness as an interaction modality to mobile entertainment experiences and showcases the potential of Mixed Reality (MR) for creating immersive and engaging experiences in real world contexts. However, the lack of design knowledge about interactions within MR represents a barrier to creating effective entertainment experiences. Faced with this challenge, we contribute a study of three navigation styles (NS) for MR experiences shown on a handheld device. The navigation styles range from fully virtual, through a mixed style that involves both on-screen and in-world activity, to fully real navigation. Our findings suggest that when designing an MR experience, the navigation style deployed should reflect the context, content and required interactions. For our MR experience, “The Old Pharmacy”, with its specific content, context and required interactions, results show that navigation styles relying on in-world activity leads to higher levels of Presence, Immersion and Flow.
@inproceedings{bala_evaluating_2017-1,
title = {Evaluating the influence of location and medium applied to mobile VR storytelling},
author = {Paulo Bala and Mara Dion\'{i}sio and Rui Trindade and Sandra Olim and Valentina Nisi and Nuno Nunes},
url = {https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3156617},
doi = {10.1145/3152832.3156617},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
booktitle = {16th International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia},
pages = {371},
publisher = {378},
abstract = {This paper investigates whether location and medium affect the experience of interactive storytelling in the context of mobile Virtual Reality systems. For this purpose, we discuss the development of Fragments of Laura, a location-aware multimedia application in a larger interactive transmedia story, where users can view a 360° narrative in a 3D environment. We conducted a user study with the intention of measuring Presence, Flow and Narrative Transportation and evaluate four scenarios resulting from the combination of two independent variables - location (existence and absence of links between the test location and the narrative location) and medium (tablet and mobile virtual reality with smartphones). Our results show that the user experience while watching a narrative fluctuates depending on the location where is viewed and the device in which is viewed. Locations linked with the content lead to a significantly increased Flow, Presence, and Narrative Transportation.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
This paper investigates whether location and medium affect the experience of interactive storytelling in the context of mobile Virtual Reality systems. For this purpose, we discuss the development of Fragments of Laura, a location-aware multimedia application in a larger interactive transmedia story, where users can view a 360° narrative in a 3D environment. We conducted a user study with the intention of measuring Presence, Flow and Narrative Transportation and evaluate four scenarios resulting from the combination of two independent variables - location (existence and absence of links between the test location and the narrative location) and medium (tablet and mobile virtual reality with smartphones). Our results show that the user experience while watching a narrative fluctuates depending on the location where is viewed and the device in which is viewed. Locations linked with the content lead to a significantly increased Flow, Presence, and Narrative Transportation.
@inproceedings{dionisio_fragments_2017,
title = {Fragments of laura: incorporating mobile virtual reality in location aware mobile storytelling experiences},
author = {Mara Dionisio and Paulo Bala and Valentina Nisi and Nuno Nunes},
url = {https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3152868},
doi = {10.1145/3152832.3152868},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
booktitle = {16th International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia},
pages = {165},
publisher = {176},
abstract = {As 360° immersive Mobile Virtual Reality (MVR) experiences are reaching a wider public, thanks to inexpensive and more powerful mobile technology available on the shelves, it is also rapidly growing as a research arena to investigate how to best design such VR experiences. Adding to this research direction, in this paper we report on an exploratory study designed to evaluate users perception in "Fragments of Laura", a mobile location-aware storytelling experience that uses MVR in a public setting. Results from the study encourage us to pursuit investigation as the experience was well received by the participants and provided an enjoyable experience, however, we discovered that there are still design challenges to overcome in order for MVR to be widely adopted within a public setting. Such as, finding the balance between multimedia and immersive multimedia, providing an "onboarding" time for such media and proper locations for the content consumption.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
As 360° immersive Mobile Virtual Reality (MVR) experiences are reaching a wider public, thanks to inexpensive and more powerful mobile technology available on the shelves, it is also rapidly growing as a research arena to investigate how to best design such VR experiences. Adding to this research direction, in this paper we report on an exploratory study designed to evaluate users perception in "Fragments of Laura", a mobile location-aware storytelling experience that uses MVR in a public setting. Results from the study encourage us to pursuit investigation as the experience was well received by the participants and provided an enjoyable experience, however, we discovered that there are still design challenges to overcome in order for MVR to be widely adopted within a public setting. Such as, finding the balance between multimedia and immersive multimedia, providing an "onboarding" time for such media and proper locations for the content consumption.
@workshop{nisi_echoes_nodate,
title = {“Echoes of Nature”: a transmedia project to foster dialogue about the natural capital of Madeira island},
author = {Valentina Nisi and Mara Dionisio and Claudia Silva and Deborah Castro and Dina Dionisio and Marko Radeta and Paulo Bala and Nuno Nunes},
url = {http://nunonunes.info/publications/ICIDS2016c.pdf},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-11-01},
abstract = {This work investigates the transmedia aspects and implications of “Echoes of Nature” (EoN), an interactive platform functioning as a touchpoint for a range of diverse experiences designed to open up dialogues between visitors of the island of Madeira and its rich natural capital, traditions and folklore.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {workshop}
}
This work investigates the transmedia aspects and implications of “Echoes of Nature” (EoN), an interactive platform functioning as a touchpoint for a range of diverse experiences designed to open up dialogues between visitors of the island of Madeira and its rich natural capital, traditions and folklore.
@inproceedings{dionisio_transmedia_2016,
title = {Transmedia storytelling for exposing natural capital and promoting ecotourism},
author = {Mara Dionisio and Valentina Nisi and Nuno Nunes and Paulo Bala},
url = {https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-48279-8_31},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-48279-8_31},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
booktitle = {International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling},
pages = {351--362},
publisher = {Springer, Cham},
abstract = {Humanity benefits from natural ecosystems in a multitude of ways; collectively, these are known as ecosystem services. Our project investigates how storytelling, coupled with mobile interactive technologies, can be used to design interventions that bring awareness and engage people in understanding the benefits of ecosystems and their underlying biodiversity. “Fragments of Laura” a technology mediated transmedia story, reveals to its audience (mostly tourists) information related to the local natural capital and ecosystem services of a UNESCO-protected forest, and embodies many aspects of its history, culture and ecotourism potential. In this paper, we present the overall interaction and story design, together with the results from the “Fragments of Laura” experience prototype. We conclude with a description of the future work and how the results from the experience prototype will affect the final working prototype.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Humanity benefits from natural ecosystems in a multitude of ways; collectively, these are known as ecosystem services. Our project investigates how storytelling, coupled with mobile interactive technologies, can be used to design interventions that bring awareness and engage people in understanding the benefits of ecosystems and their underlying biodiversity. “Fragments of Laura” a technology mediated transmedia story, reveals to its audience (mostly tourists) information related to the local natural capital and ecosystem services of a UNESCO-protected forest, and embodies many aspects of its history, culture and ecotourism potential. In this paper, we present the overall interaction and story design, together with the results from the “Fragments of Laura” experience prototype. We conclude with a description of the future work and how the results from the experience prototype will affect the final working prototype.
@inproceedings{bala_ivrux:_2016,
title = {IVRUX: A tool for analyzing immersive narratives in virtual reality},
author = {Paulo Bala and Mara Dionisio and Valentina Nisi and Nuno Nunes},
url = {https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-48279-8_1},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-48279-8_1},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
booktitle = {International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling},
pages = {3--11},
publisher = {Springer, Cham},
abstract = {This paper describes IVRUX, a tool for the analysis of 360º Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) story-driven experiences. Traditional cinema offers an immersive experience through surround sound technology and high definition screens. However, in 360º IVR the audience is in the middle of the action, everything is happening around them. The immersiveness and freedom of choice brings new challenges into narrative creation, hence the need for a tool to help the process of evaluating user experience. Starting from “The Old Pharmacy”, a 360º Virtual Reality scene, we developed IVRUX, a tool that records users’ experience while visualizing the narrative. In this way, we are able to reconstruct the user’s experience and understand where their attention is focused. In this paper, we present results from a study done using 32 participants and, through analyzing the results, provide insights that help creators to understand how to enhance 360º Immersive Virtual Reality story driven experiences.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
This paper describes IVRUX, a tool for the analysis of 360º Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) story-driven experiences. Traditional cinema offers an immersive experience through surround sound technology and high definition screens. However, in 360º IVR the audience is in the middle of the action, everything is happening around them. The immersiveness and freedom of choice brings new challenges into narrative creation, hence the need for a tool to help the process of evaluating user experience. Starting from “The Old Pharmacy”, a 360º Virtual Reality scene, we developed IVRUX, a tool that records users’ experience while visualizing the narrative. In this way, we are able to reconstruct the user’s experience and understand where their attention is focused. In this paper, we present results from a study done using 32 participants and, through analyzing the results, provide insights that help creators to understand how to enhance 360º Immersive Virtual Reality story driven experiences.
