On this post I list all the major breakthroughs I have had. These may also appear in other posts according to what other topics they are connected to (they will be linked).
Index:
How to build my route
Better communication
Major evolution of the project
Discussion with supportive artisans, Ca’Macan, Casin Dei Nobili
Mainstream paths had to be used to reach some of the stops
Having to retrace one’s steps
too long
But thanks to this intervention I now know which specific district I should focus on (Castello) as it is completely away from the beaten track. Not testing the route in the flesh would have made it impossible to get an accurate vision of its content.
The intervention was a failure as the stakeholder was not able to complete the route the way I intended her to, however, it stirred me into a better direction and I became aware of many ways I can improve the project.
Better Communication
23/06/2021
From the interactions I have had with experts Marco de Michelis and Roberto D’Agostino, I realised that I miscommunicated the essence of my project. They both initially thought I wanted to get rid of or control mass tourism. I am very well aware that I do not have that power
Perhaps that when I make presentations, instead of solely showing pictures of crowded streets (as part of the problem), I should also show empty museums and neighbourhoods to convey how little that side of the city is being explored. This would show that I do not want to eliminate the mass, I just want to inspire a few day tourists to give back to the city by experiencing a more authentic and unexplored side to Venice, while promoting a sense a community between the locals and the tourists.
Major evolution of the project
9/07/2021
I approached the Papier Machè artisan shop, which is run by three artisans, to pitch my idea and see if they would be interested in being part of the route I have designed. Unfortunately, I realised that the rift between certain locals and day tourists is way deeper than I had imagined. Indeed, it was made clear that those were not the sort of tourists they wanted to have around.
This interaction was recorded in more detail here.
Conclusion:
Although I am aware that it is completely normal to have people disagreeing with your project, this interaction has made me think. It has underlined some things that I was already worrying about.
Having day tourists wondering in more quiet areas may not please everyone (I sent out a survey to make sure it would be alright but it may not have reached enough people).
Getting locals involved (artisans and cultural institutions) is very complicated
Although I am half Venetian I was not raised there, which amounts to being a foreigner. Thus, there can be a lack of trust.
This lead me to think about other aspects of my current idea that can be considered as great challenges.
Additional Challenges:
It encapsulates a lot
I think I am trying to address to many issues: unprofitable and disrespectful tourism, tourist-local relationship, city movement, authenticity of the tourist experience.
And trying to incorporate too many things: interactive immersive experience, gamification, storytelling, learning (history and art history).
Time constraints during the tour experience
It is hard to predict in a city like Venice how long it would take to complete the gamified tour. Tourists might feel pressured to hurry up or will not have enough time to complete the game.
Logistics
When one starts getting cultural institutions involved everything starts revolving around their opening times. It would be very difficult to synchronize everything. One would not be able to play the game whenever they want and not at all on closing days.
Conclusion:
Basically, with the current version of the project, I am controlling too many factors. I am trying to create something that ticks all the boxes but it is not necessarily a productive way of spending my time. I need to keep in mind that I have limited time and that I should focus on doing really well what is realistically attainable.
The New Idea:
The new idea involves using a geolocation app that will unlock pieces of information about the city when tourists have entered a specific radius. Once one has entered the radius they will be pinged. The notification may contain a historical fact, a legend, a comment about the architecture and advices such as: “you are close to this talented artisan, or there is a magnificent Bellini in the church near you”.
Why?
It is a way to transform tourism in Venice from being Linear to explorative. It gives an opportunity for an adventure, while learning about history and promoting authentic and interesting cultural features of the city.
Promotes exploration-based tourism rather than a linear one.
The user gets a notification when reaching a geolocated point.
These points can contain: a history fact, a venetian legend, a museum, a Church or an artisan.
Those will be located off the beaten track.
Creating a feature that either promotes community spirit between locals and tourists or that emphasizes the importance of being a respectful tourist.
Discussion with supportive artisans, Ca’Macan, Casin Dei Nobili
9/07/2021
Thankfully, I have had some discussions with some artisans that were very supportive of my project, for more details click here.
I was relieved to see that my project was not completely inadequate, which is the feeling I had talking to the Papier Maché artisans. Furthermore, the conversation reinforced how much some artisans are struggling because of the current global situation.
As day tourists rarely spend money in artisan shops, it could make a big difference if they started doing so.
Although they were positive about the project, the more sceptic Papier Maché artisans made me question everything and I ultimately decided to modify the gamification of the tourist experience.
Tech Experts
5/07/2021-14/07/2021
Having made contact with tech experts Herman Ho and Jesse Sigalov (more here) has widened my horizons on what I could do with this project. They reassured me that what I was picturing could be done and give me the support I need to develop the digital side.
They both took the time to show me how Unity3d software works (a platform to create digital interactive content) and shared some of their own ideas on how to create something engaging.
A non-linear route intervention
21/07/2021
This intervention (detailed here) was a breakthrough because it was my first attempt at testing with stakeholders the way my project had evolved. It was quite different to what I had been doing before as I was no longer trying to create heavily curated and controlled routes, but a more free and explorative experience still located off the beaten track.
Screenshot of the map I designed for the intervention
This was the first iteration of a series of interventions that followed the same principle but that all learned from each other. It showed me that it was possible to achieve what I was designing in my head and opened the doors to all the ways I could improve it.
In this section I will document how stakeholders react to the cultural routes I have created.
Index:
Diamond/Silver route test 1
Diamond/Silver route test 2
The Castello route (version 1)
A non-linear route (Castello district) test 1
A non-linear route (Castello district) test 2
A non-linear route (Castello district) test 3
A non-linear route (Castello district) test 4 with tourism expert
An advertisment video
Diamond/Silver route test 1:
25/05/2021
Local Francesco Loredan has agreed to try the route (without entering the cultural institution). I was looking for honest feedback and advice in order to create an authentic experience.
Email I received from the stakeholder
Practical suggestions:
If the vessel ends up being an app, there should be a way click on the cultural site of interest and being showcased a picture of it.
An audio description of the historical sites would be useful.
Route suggestions:
Make sure to pass by the San Giovanni e Paolo church
Stop in front of the statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni
To notice the Scuola Grande di San Marco
Insert the S. Maria dei Miracoli Church and San Giorgio dei Greci
On the road to S. Zaccaria (Sottoportego Corte Rota) there is a “Chicca”, one of the last forcole makers (where you rest the paddle).
Other interesting church, Madonna del Orto (appears in another one of my routes).
Limitations:
I was not on site when Francesco took the tour, as a result I was not able to control how accurately he followed the route. Additionally, I may be familiar with the route from the map but have not experimented it myself in the real world resulting in some uncertainty as whether it ticks all the boxes.
Hopefully next time I can test it myself and see if the Diamond route is viable or if it needs changing.
Diamond/Silver route test 2:
20/06/ 2021
I tested the route with a stakeholder (tourist) Shreya Rajesh. We were both in Venice this time. Her input was very precious as it was her first time in Venice. It was a long and strenuous day as i realised that transitioning from a route drawn on a map to the maze-like streets of Venice was harder than I had imagined. Fortunately, although I concluded that I had to redesign this route, I have had some valuable breakthroughs.
For more written and visual documentation for this route click here.
The route
Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo:
Chiesa di San Zaccaria:
All photographs by Olimpia Loredan
Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci:
Sotoportego Dei Preti (legend location):
All photographs by Olimpia Loredan
L’Artista Della Barbaria(artisanal masks):
This stop sadly shows how much Venice was hit by the Covid crisis as the shop had recently closed. This was the only artisanal boutique that I could find online in that neighbourhood, which made me panic a little. Fortunately, while walking to the next stop I stumbled upon two other artisan boutiques, which had never appeared online. What they do is beautiful and they are very open to talk about their craft.
Closed artisan
New artisan
Other new artisan
Palazzo Grimani:
All photographs by Olimpia Loredan
Stakeholder feedback:
In the afternoon I took my stakeholder on the tour, which was a little chaotic as I managed to get lost again.
her feedback to me was, which I had anticipated, that the stops are too spread out from each other and that some of them, although they are private and quiet, are surrounded by tourist routes. Each stop she enjoyed, although she preferred walking in the Castello district (around where the Palazzo Grimani is located) as it felt more peaceful and authentic.
It is actually because of Shreya that I found one of the two new artisan shops as I would have walked passed it without noticing.
Challenges and Breakthroughs:
As mentioned before, it was difficult to reach the stops with the best route possible. I quickly realised that although the stops where not mainstream at all, the paths to reach them were.
Furthermore, there were some logistic issues because sometimes one had to retrace their steps in order to move on to the next location, which I believe to be redundant and counterproductive.
The stops were also too spread out from each other. It would take too much time for a stranger to the city to complete the route.
But thanks to this intervention I now know which specific district I should focus on (Castello) as it is completely away from the beaten track. Not testing the route in the flesh would have made it impossible to get an accurate vision of its content.
In conclusion, the intervention was a failure as the stakeholder was not able to complete the route the way I intended her to, however, it stirred me into a better direction and I became aware of many ways I can improve the project.
The Castello route (version 1)
4/07/2021
Here, once again, my intervention was to have a tourist stakeholder experience the new route I have created. As Shreya only tested version 1, I asked her to test this new version as well (there are 4 in total):
New version:
The church Santa Maria dei Miracoli
Legend at the Saint Mark’s Scuola
The Church San Giovanni e Paolo
Church San Francesco della Vigna
Artisans
Palazzo Grimani
It took us 1:30 to complete it
Stakeholder’s feedback:
Shreya very kindly wrote her feedback down with her own words and in great detail:
Marble church: beginning the journey here, at the entrance of the church set the tone for something that felt a bit hidden. I imagine most tourists will arrive- as we did- from the square, across the bridge, and then walking around the church to arrive at the entrance. This gave me the opportunity to engage with the facade in its totality. The open window was a quaint treat.
I liked the architectural history nugget about the bridge that connected the nunnery and the church. I noticed a nice courtyard just as we turned down the narrow path and some nice pink flowers across the canal at the end of the path.
It was nice to be reminded to turn around to look at the entrance to a Palazzo from Casanova and be reminded of the gift pig being brought to the house across the canal.
I’ve started to notice the Mary’s with umbrellas everywhere!
I then don’t remember the walk but it wasn’t too long to get to the next stop. I thought turning the corner that opened up into the square was wonderful.
Enjoyed the juxtaposition of the grand facade of the scuola with the perspective reliefs and the brick church.
The church was large and imposing and continued on this monumental scale inside as well.
I also liked seeing the island across the lagoon. I think it tempted me to prefer the lagoon walk
The path we took involved crossing the square, past the trees with inviting benches beneath for weary feet.
From the square to the next stop we walked through a long street passing some shops, churches, and restaurants. It felt like just another busy street but this was part of the variety of this experience.
The next church with the monastery was a nice addition. I especially liked detour into the monastery with its two courtyards. It reminded me of other monastery’s I’d visited. I liked the history that linked the church to St Marc and his visit- who is such a central figure. It involved a the prophecy that foretold of the riches of Venice. I also enjoyed the architectural history – about the old medieval church and its replacement.
I linked walking under the building and over the bridge. I noticed a photographer taking pictures of the view of the canal from the bridge. It wasn’t too busy and this reinforced the off the beaten path element to this walk.
The sottoportego involving the legend about the end of the plague reminded me of the importance of the end of the plague and the devastating impact of the plague in Venice. It was a highly decorated tunnel. It was nice that is was literally a part of the path. The streets were relatively empty so we were easily able to stop inside the tiny tunnel and appreciate the painting, ceiling, and floor.
The walk felt a little long but I think the things to notice along the way such as the unfinished brick church facade. I also liked the walk itself with crossing bridges, walking the long alley with flowers alongside the supermarket. I think we walked along the canal at some point and I enjoyed that too in contrast to walking across them.
Walking past the hand painted face mask store and then the bookshop, and then some more stores to end up at the square was also nice because I didn’t feel like I was missing out on the tourist window shopping experience but that I was getting it with a more artisan take.
The palazzo grimani felt like an especially good choice. It was tucked away so maybe I would not have gone to it unless prompted. I liked that you entered through a courtyard. Enjoyed the juxtaposition of the old and the contemporary even though I can’t say the exhibition made much of an impression. The frescos on the walls and ceilings, the antique statues, and the surrealist fireplaces caught my attention.
I felt like I had seen a substantial amount in an hour and a half and was very pleased with myself! The variety and the attention to detail and the approach to each spot was especially good.
I wonder how it would be if the streets were a bit more crowded, I’m not sure we would get it done in an hour and a half then.
It was also good to note that the grimani tickets were free for students.
I can’t remember whether the artisan shop had things in a range of price brackets. I wanted to get so many things from the shop but I didn’t pay attention to if there were affordable options I liked.
Photographs by Olimpia Loredan
What went well:
I was pleased to see that Shreya very much enjoyed the experience. She noted that this time the tour was off the beaten track and offering a variety of interesting historical elements and aesthetically pleasing urban landscapes. I think that she could feel that the path was taking her to a more authentic part of the city, which I see as a success.
Unlike my last intervention, I did not get lost or confused at any time during the tour, which made Shreya’s experience way more harmonious and pleasurable.
What I should improve/change:
The stakeholder felt that the walk between the Church of San Francesco della Vigna and the artisans was a little too long, although just as interesting as the rest. Perhaps I could imagine some interactive elements that would keep the tourists entertained and thus less focused on the length of the walk.
She also mentioned that she may have preferred walking along the lagoon from the Church San Giovanni e Paolo to San Francesco della Vigna as I have designed it in version 2 of this route:
It is a beautiful walk by the lagoon, however, I am worried that it gets too hot in the summer as it is completely exposed to the sun. It also extends the route quite a bit. Further interventions must be made in order to get more feedback on the matter.
Challenges:
This intervention ran quite smoothly but what may potentially be worrying is the number of tourists dramatically rising after covid. Indeed, I have already seen a difference since i got here. The Vicinity of the Palazzo Grimani used to be very tranquil but this weekend a wave of people crowded the streets.
Luckily I knew the area quite well before covid so I know that most of it does not get crowded. I just need to keep an eye on the last part of the route, which seems to be more popular.
A non-linear route(Castello district) test 1:
21/07/2021
Introduction:
The aim of this intervention is to see how stakeholders react to how my project has evolved. Indeed, I am no longer trying to create heavily curated and controlled routes, but rather a more free and explorative experience (always in places off the beaten track). I would like to build an app which sends users a notification once they reach a geolocated spot, which contains an interesting piece of information about the city: this may be a historical fact, a legend, an advice to go check out a particular church, artisan shop or museum.
What I want to gain from this:
How long should the anecdotes be (plan an intervention testing length of text)
How many spots should be around
Is the phone distracting from the city
Are the spots easy to find
Should I show images?
The Intervention:
My stakeholders were not guided by me but had access to a very abstract map I have created that displays the various points. This gives a general idea of where the historical anecdotes are located (this is a way to encourage tourists to discover less-explored areas while being free to wander down any path).
This is the map my stakeholders had access to. They did not know what sort of information each red dot carries as I would like to keep an element of surprise.
As this intervention aims to mimic the way the app would work, instead of having an instant notification thanks to geolocation, they just had to click on the dot they were closest to to get the piece of information about the city (I was there to tell them whenever they were close to a spot).
I had access to a more detailed map, where I categorised each piece of information. It was a way for to avoid getting lost and missing any red spots.
Documenting the intervention:
Photographs by Olimpia Loredan
Feedback Stakeholder 1:
I tested it first with tourist stakeholder Shreya Rajesh. She had a lot of useful feedback that will help me improve my interventions.
Positive comments:
She really enjoyed the narrative style of some of the anecdotes, such as those that had a time travel element to them.
She felt that at the end of the day she had learned new things about the city
She enjoyed learning about random Venice facts such as how the Venetian language influenced modern Greek.
Particularly enjoyed discovering a canal route that was not touristy but that contained all the elements that tourists like.
She found that she started to map the city in her head with more ease because she associating some parts of the city with the anecdotes that she had read.
Possible improvements and suggestions:
Although she enjoyed the random facts about Venice (those that are not tied to a specific visual element of the city), she felt a little uncomfortable stopping to read the anecdote without having to look at anything that was linked to the piece of information on her phone. She suggested that the user should know when the notification will refer to a random fact or to an instant where one needs to stop and observe something specific.
As this specific stakeholder felt a little uncomfortable stopping, she mentioned that an audio version (especially for the random facts) could be quite nice if a visitor is walking alone. I had already thought about an audio version and I like the idea. However, it would not be effective for people that travel in groups, which most tourists do, furthermore, there is something a little off about experiencing a city with your earphones on at all times. Nonetheless, adding audio could definitely be done, but at a later date as an additional feature.
Sometimes, the texts did not make it clear enough as to what structure they were referring to, which could be easily fixed by adding more visual cues. Additionally, she felt that text was a little formal sometimes and not immersive enough.
She suggested a “nudge feature” in case users were struggling to find the right spots with anecdotes and a feature that would disable the notifications one has already read so that the user will not keep receiving the same anecdotes if they retrace their steps.
Challenges:
I found that my stakeholder tended to want to control the experience or to be held by the hand through it. I had to make it clear that the aim of the project was not to deliver a curated and controlled tourist experience but one that promotes individual curiosity and exploration.
Moreover, she had many suggestions (all very helpful) but it would sometimes distract her from the intervention. Next time I will encourage stakeholders to keep most of the comments to the end of the event to avoid the possibility of them experiencing the intervention for what it could be instead of for what it is.
What went well:
There were no major technical difficulties, which really helped with the smooth running of the intervention.
The idea that was tested worked as the stakeholder learned about the city and felt rewarded from it.
Certain descriptions and anecdotes made the stakeholder want to enter cultural institutions that she would not have thought interesting otherwise. This, I consider a big success as it is exactly what the project is trying to promote.
I discovered a new artisan by accident, which I added to my map. Shreya even bought some paper from them, which is the sort of behaviour I am trying to encourage.
Conclusion:
Overall, this intervention went well, although there is much space for improvement. There are 4 main things that I believe I should take on board, which are:
Adding visual cues (so that users know exactly what they are reading about)
Consider an audio version.
Adding a “disable notification” feature (so that users do not keep receiving the same anecdotes when retracing their steps).
Making the texts more immersive and a little less formal.
Although Shreya seemed to appreciate the length of the informative texts, in the future, I would like to gather other people’s opinions about it. I would also like to find out if using words is enough or if I should add visual support as well.
Furthermore, although Shreya felt like she had re-discovered the Castello district through the anecdotes, she was already familiar with some of the areas. In order to get a more objective feedback, next time I will take a tourist who is completely unfamiliar to that location.
A non-linear route(Castello district)test 2:
30/07/2021
This intervention is a repetition of the previous one but with a different stakeholder. I made a few improvements following the previous stakeholder’s feedback:
More visual cues (so that users know exactly what they are looking at)
Make the text a little less formal and more immersive
Example of Anecdote Before and After:
Before:
“This church and convent were founded in 1254. The structure was originally gothic in style but was replaced in 1534 with the Renaissance church that you see today. Its façade was designed by famous architect Andrea Palladio.
Legend has it that the church was built where Saint Mark had stopped to rest after leaving Aquileia. An angel came to the saint and announced that to honour him a powerful city would be founded in this lagoon. The original Church was built to commemorate this event.
Inside, along with the handsomely decorated chapels, you will be presented with frescoes by Tiepolo and with a painting by Giovanni Bellini, Virgin and Child and Saints, 1507.”
After:
“Here, you should be facing a highly symmetric white façade whose entrance is guarded by two bronze statues.
This church and convent were founded in 1254. The structure was originally gothic in style but was replaced in 1534 with the Renaissance church that you see today. Its façade was designed by famous architect Andrea Palladio.
Legend has it that the church was built where Saint Mark had stopped to rest after leaving Aquileia. An angel came to the saint and announced that to honour him a powerful city would be founded in this lagoon. The original Church was built to commemorate this event.
Inside, along with the handsomely decorated chapels, you will be presented with frescoes by Tiepolo and with a painting by Giovanni Bellini, Virgin and Child and Saints, 1507.”
Feedback Stakeholder 2:
This time, I took tourist Lé Zhèn Lōng around the Castello district, following the same principal as last time: abstract map, and me mimicking that he has received a notification with an anecdote.
Photographs by Olimpia Loredan
Positive comments:
Information was very interesting and the length of the texts was suitable.
Many pings (anecdotes) were placed on things that he would have missed otherwise.
It gave him the opportunity to curate and explore the city in a way he was interested in. (Non linear experience).
Possible improvements and suggestions:
The stakeholder felt that some words that appeared in the anecdotes were a little unaccessible, which could be remedied by adding short definitions. Furthermore, he noticed that dates were not consistent as I used both Roman and regular numbers.
He also suggested to think about what would happen if a user decides not to open the notification. I thought it could be nice to have an archive feature where all the notifications (open and unopened) end up going when the user has reached the geolocated spots.
Finally, the stakeholder advised me to find a suitable method to make it clear that what is offered to the public is my take on Venice and not a universal one to avoid any comments such as: “Why didn’t you include this landmark on your map”?
Challenges:
I had a little moment of confusion as I had planned to make a correction on one of the anecdotes, which had been inspired from the previous intervention. However, I forgot to update it on the map, which meant that the information did not match with the landmark I was aiming to highlight. Luckily, I remembered the correct information and just recounted it to my stakeholder.
At the very beginning of the intervention, the stakeholder was following the map very intently, which meant he was mainly focusing on his phone (something I would like to avoid). This tells me I need to find a way to attract tourists to the authentic areas of Venice, without having them spending all their time looking at a map.
What went well:
The stakeholder read the anecdotes out loud, which help me see whether the texts made sense or if corrections were to be made.
During the experience we met two tourists, which were trying to find information about a place that appears on my map. I decided to test the anecdote with them and it went very well. They liked the idea of my project because hey could not find any website or map to really help them engage with the city culturally. One of them even suggested to create an offline version of the app that people can download before getting to the city, as tourists do not always have access to data.
The two tourists I have encountered, Photograph by Olimpia Loredan
We also met a Venetian that confirmed to me that what I had researched about this particular area was accurate and even gave some additional information about it.
The stakeholder quickly got the concept. He was easier to manage as he did not try to control the experience, unlike my previous stakeholder.
Encouragingly, he could see that this idea could be applied to many other tourist destinations.
Conclusion:
This interventions ran very smoothly. The one that came before definitely helped me improve this version: the anecdotes were clearer, and I was better at explaining the concept.
There are four main things that I am taking away from this intervention:
How to clarify that the app is my personal take on Venice and not a universal one.
What happens to notifications that are read and unread
Find a way to limit the time users’ spend on the phone looking at the map
Make some of the words used in the anecdotes more accessible
A non-linear route(Castello district)test 3:
31/07/2021
This intervention is a repetition of the two previous ones.
Feedback Stakeholder 3:
This time, the stakeholder Dominique Dehe is not a tourist but what I would refer to as a semi-local. Although she is not a Venice resident, she has a flat in the city and has been staying there regularly for almost 30 years.
Photographs by Olimpia Loredan
Positive comments:
Very enthusiastic to learn more about a city she is already familiar with
This idea is easily applicable to other tourist locations
The idea is easily expandable and many more features can be added later on
Possible improvements and suggestions:
The stakeholder suggested that there should be a “recommended route” option for those who prefer a more structured experience or that simply do not have much time and wish to have the security that they will be seeing things that are worthwhile. Interestingly, I have heard the same thought from a local, which further encouraged me to consider the possibility.
As this stakeholder was very curious, she pointed out a few additional landmarks she thought could be mentioned on the app. These include: a church, a little chapel, an 18th century school of sciences and an equestrian statue on the San Giovanni e Paolo square. I will make sure to research all of these elements and possibly add them to my app.
Similarly to stakeholder 1, she mentioned that an audio version could be an interesting feature to add.
Challenges:
The stakeholder was very curious about some elements that did not appear on my map, which made me a little anxious as I did not want to disappoint her.
Sometimes my map would glitch, which forced me to stop a couple of times to reset it.
What went well:
The stakeholder discovered new things about Venice although she was very familiar with the city, which is very encouraging. It would be lovely if even the locals could experiment with the app to see if they can learn more about their city.
Although she is from an upper demographic, the project appealed to her, which suggests that the app will not only interest the younger generations.
Conclusion:
The intervention went well, both the stakeholder and I had an enjoyable time.
There are 3 main things that I am taking away from this intervention:
The fact that the project can very well appeal to a wider demographic
I should reflect more deeply on the “recommended route” option
Since it was mentioned by 2 stakeholders already, the idea of developing an audio version seems to be solidifying.
A non-linear route (Castello district) test 4 with tourism expert
14/08/2021
This intervention follows the same principle as the previous ones. The only difference is that I have made some of the additions that had been suggested by the previous stakeholder such as adding a description of Equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni. Moreover, some pictures were attached to a couple of the anecdotes when it seemed that visual aid would be helpful.
Example of an anecdote with an image
Feedback Stakeholder 4:
This time, I took expert Marco Loredan founder of The Venice Experience(a travel agency in Venice). His professional knowledge of the city and his Venetian local view were very valuable.
Positive comments:
The stakeholder enjoyed himself during the intervention and has taken a liking to the project. He thought that the anecdotes were very well written and that they contained some very useful information.
Possible improvements and suggestions:
Some of the anecdotes were a little too long in his opinion. He feels that tourists often have quite a short attention span.
He advised me to add the URLs of the places that can be visited so that the users can directly check relevant informations like opening times or whether they can buy tickets online.
He also suggested a few interesting places I could add to the map:
The Church of the ospedaletto
San Giorgio dei Schiavoni Church
Scuola dei Schiavoni
Chiesa San Giorgio di Malta
Challenges:
My phone was acting up so it was difficult sometimes to access the map.
The temperature was extremely hot, which compelled us to stop frequently in the shade, slowing down the process.
I noted that there are a few typos in some of the anecdotes that must be rectified.
What went well:
The concept was very well understood by the stakeholder. He learned some new facts, which is very encouraging especially since he works in tourism and already has a lot of knowledge about Venice.
Conclusion:
This is probably the most successful intervention as I was really able to improve the experience thanks to the previous stakeholders’ feedbacks. I felt more confident about my anecdotes and about the places they were attached to.
The main things I am taking away from this intervention:
Adding URLs
Consider shortening some of the anecdotes
Adding the locations he suggested
An advertisment video:
10/08/2021-21/08/2021
I decided that a good way to test my idea digitally would be to create a promotional video, which would be sent out to stakeholders. It is a way to see if the app sparks interest in people, while reaching a wider demographic.
Research:
Since I have never made an advertisement video I went on youtube to study what sort patterns they followed and whether I could find one that fit my idea. There were three main app adverts that stood up to me:
This app is the most similar to my idea as it offers a digital travel guide. It helped me visually structure my own add and showed me how to get the meaning across.
This advert underlined how much music can create meaning and enhance emotions.
Filming process:
I set out with a friend to film areas of Venice and us walking through them. The idea is to show these under-explored places that I have been navigating and documenting this summer through the experience of two characters that are using this educational “app” (has not been developed yet).
Editing:
I merged the piano music and the natural sounds of the city to create a more authentic impression. Most of the shots are original but I used stock footage for the clips of the plane, train, boat and areal perspective of the city at the beginning of the video.
Designing a logo:
I decided to call the app “Off Z Track”, which I think represents quite well the nature of the project. Then, I started designing a few logo options.
Final Logo:
The Video:
Stakeholders’ feedback:
I created a survey for participants to fill out after watching the video.
The Questions:
What do you think this advert was advertising?
Was the unique selling point of the app clear?
Is this something you would use while travelling?
Do you think this could enhance the tourist experience?
Are you familiar with a similar app?
Additional feedback
Overall thoughts:
I was glad to see that the participants mostly understood what the video was advertising. A few of them had very good descriptions of what the app aims to offer:
Discovering cities (Venice in particular) with a more authentic / informed look
An app to assist tourists find hidden and interesting areas of the city they’re visiting
Hidden parts of Venice that are overlooked in favour of the more popular tourist spots. A chance at showcasing the actual history of Venice through its people instead of just places to tick off a list.
A mobile app that helps out tourists to see a quieter side of a city which may hold an important and interesting history.
An app to help tourists discover places in Venice off the beaten track
Most participants agreed that the selling point of the app was clear, that it would enhance the tourist experience and that most of them would use it when travelling.
Constructive criticism:
Make the app’s use more clear
I was asked whether there will be a language option, which I think there will if I were to pursue this project after the masters.
Blue and white writing hard to read/ don’t pause enough to read the text. (Here, I see how the white writing was probably not the best choice, especially paired with the dainty font, however, the video was just meant to give an idea of what the app is about and not really focus on the specific historical information that appeared in the shots).
It would be good to make it more clear why this app is special, why it is better than the rest.
Again, I was advised to develop an audio version.
If it becomes popular it will draw many people in the area, which will become crowded and thus the selling point will become obsolete. (I have been thinking about this from some time, I do not know yet how to avoid this scenario).
The quality of the video is not perfect, (this is understandable as the production is nowhere near professional).
It is important to make it clear how the app communicates the information (geolocation or computer vision to recognise palaces). (It was mentioned in the video that we were using geolocation but perhaps it came and went too fast).
Positive comments:
“This feels like an unobtrusive augmented reality service . I hope it is multilingual . Nice work.”
“The video was very clear and it not only made me want to visit Venice, it also made me want to engage more fully with its culture through the app”
“It felt like the adventurous aspect of discovering these gems was very enticing”
“Great idea, should be done for all historical cities”
Expert’s comments:
My game design expert gave a run-down of how to improve the quality of the video and make sure that the essence of the project is well conveyed.
He gave me some technical advice such as how to prevent the text from being wobbly or how to add strategic animation to clarify certain parts.
Exchange with Herman
What I could have done better:
Better video quality (it was filmed on a phone and the animations were wobbly and sometimes difficult to read
I could have added some screenshots of the app to solidify the way it works (which I have not designed yet)
Not having used any stock videos, (I had to add a few for the shots that were too complicated for me to film such as the areal perspectives of Venice).
Perhaps I should have made it more clear that the app works with geolocation as it is one of the unique selling points of the product.
I should have added more shots with people such as artisans to highlight authentic connections.
On this post I document the interactions I have had with experts, outlining their advice and feedback on my project. Some of this content will also appear in other posts as I may refer to it to explain my decisions and new ideas.
Marco Loredan, travel agent
4/5/2021
I reached out to Marco Loredan, founder of The Venice Experience. It is a travel agency that specialises in the organisation of conferences, visits of villas, palaces, gardens and historical cellars that are not open to the public in Venice and on the mainland.
All the yellow pointers on the map were his suggestions of special places off the beaten track. He helped enrich my routes and discover new places.
Email exchange (in Italian) where he list the places that were added to my map:
14/08/2021
Marco took part in one of my interventions, which I detail in my intervention journal. He suggested some places I could add to my app and gave me some compelling advice, which stems from his professional knowledge of the city.
Alan Lock, architect
10/4/2021 – ongoing
Alan is an architecture graduate founder of Studio ENV, urban design studio, who has been teaching me how to use creative softwares such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. All interactions were in person.
He has also given me advice on how to map Venice in the most efficient way and has introduced me to apps used by construction engineers and architects to create 3D models of things and buildings as a way to enrich the digital experience of tourists.
These apps include:
Trnio
Scandi Pro
Lidar
3d warehouse
7/08/2021-
Alan has recently given me a tutorial on how to use the creative software AfterEffect. Indeed, for my next intervention I am creating an advertising video about my app idea, which I will send out to stakeholders and then collect their feedback. You can read more about this intervention here.
19/11/2021
I contacted Alan to help me to find a more efficient way of tracing some bell tower pictures, which I wanted to use for the festival final piece. Initially, I wanted to do everything on illustrator but he advised me to use architecture software Rhinoceros 3D, which sped up the process. You can read more about this process on the Festival piece post.
Marco De Michelis, professor at Universita IUAV di Venezia
21/6/2021
This expert works in the political and social sciences department of this Venice University. Therefore, I thought he could have an interesting view of the city’s societal dynamics, especially the local-tourist relationship. We scheduled a phone call to talk about my project.
This a screenshot of me introducing myself and setting up a meeting (Ialian language)
His feedback:
Although he quite liked my project, he underlined that I would not be able to affect mass tourism. By this, he meant that if my project were to be very successful, the mass would still be present as Venice is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
He seemed to think that I aimed to eliminate mass tourism, which is not the case (may have been some miscommunication here). As a result, he expressed that tourism is a right and that everybody should experience Venice.
He proposed that the creation of new regulations on the number of hotels and BandBs would be more efficient in preventing the city to capitalise on tourism (not at all the root I want to take). He also mentioned corruption in Venice and schemes to sell tourists made-in-China items.
He advised me to include the lagoon in my tour as he (and many other locals I have spoken to), believe it to be the most beautiful thing about Venice. Although it would be wonderful, I target a tourist group that has little time to spend in the city and that is only willing to spend a limited amount of money.
He asked me to contact him again once I have a definitive route.
What I took from it:
Unfortunately, this expert sounded very disillusioned about Venice’s situation. I am not sure he understood the essence of my project, how I want to promote a more responsible type of tourism (not to get rid of the mass) and inspire tourists and locals to work together for the preservation of the city.
This shows me that I need to communicate better my ideas, especially when I speak Italian, which I always find harder. Therefore, I must make sure that my stakeholders and experts do not get the impression that I am trying to eliminate mass tourism.
Instead, it should be clear that I want to offer day tourists a way of giving back to the city by experiencing a more authentic and unexplored side to Venice.
Roberto D’agostino, Venice city planning councillor:
22/6/2021
I was given his contact by a local and we met in person.
This a screenshot of me introducing myself and setting up a meeting (Italian language)
Similarly to Michelis, he advised me not to try to control the mass but to convert it, to encourage more respectful behaviour and interest in the unexplored Venice. This tells me that I need to modify my project description and maybe my question in order to make this more clear. I must be sounding like I plan to fix mass tourism.
He liked many aspects of the project:
The creation of a sense of community between the locals and the tourists
Gamifying the tourist experience
The narrative of the tour
the exploration of the Venice behind the glass wall
the involvement of locals
Like Michelis, he mentioned adding the lagoon to the tour, but retracted the idea when I explained the day tourist’s limitations.
He shared interesting historical facts and under explored locations, ex:
San Francesco della vigna
San Pietro di Castello
Arsenale
La celestia
Casino dei Spiriti
He also advised me to seek the help of the owner of the Fillippi book shop. He will show me the best books about Venice’s history, architecture and art history.
The expert asked me if he could try the route once it is completed. His opinion will be extremely valuable.
What I took from it:
It was a very pleasant experience as the expert was exited about the project. Although he pointed out some limitations, he inspired me to explore other locations and to do more historical research.
Micky White, historian and photographer
(specialises in 18th century Venice)
23/6/2021 and 24/6/2021
I had two meetings with Micky to see if she could help me with Venetian history. Turns out she knows in great detail the topography of the city in 1745. For instance, she could tell me that, what is now a pharmacy, used to be a chemist and was also able to list me all the stalls and shops on the Rialto bridge and who owned them at the time.
She shared with me documents, some of them containing this information so that I can incorporate it in my tour. Indeed, it would be really nice to tell the tourists was used to be there and bring to life the 18th century Venetian everyday-life.
Arranging to meet (I knew her from before and we ran into each other a few days prior)
8/08/2021
As Micky is a Vivaldi specialist (she wrote Antonio Vivaldi. A life in documents and worked on BBC’s documentary Vivaldi’s Women) shetook me on a tour to show me various places where the composer and his family had lived. The aim was to see if I could include some of these anecdotes on my map. We went to three different locations, which I think are worth exploring further.
Herman Ho, game designer, 3D generalist, online tutor
5/07/2021
We had a 1 hour call to discuss my project, what sort of features I wanted for the game, what was the aim, the target etc.
The purpose of this was for him to get a good grasp of what I was trying to do and to assess how he could help. By the end he told me he would give me two tutorials to teach me how to use a game design software (Unity3d). It was a very positive interaction and he assured me that what I was planning could be done.
Us setting up a second lecture
10/07/2021
I had a three hour tutorial with Herman to learn how to use the Unity3d software, which is a platform to create digital interactive content.
We went over the basics, which felt like learning a new language. I will definitely need a lot of practice using it.
Screenshots from the lesson
Conclusion:
Using this software was very unfamiliar to me, which makes me a little nervous. I know that I will have to persevere if I want to create presentable. I also need to keep in mind that I have a limited amount of time to complete the project, which means that I should not be afraid to slightly simplify some concepts in order to make the work more manageable.
16/07/2021
In this second 3 hour tutorial, Herman taught me the basics of coding. With the method he showed how to create a button that you can press and the different user experiences he can have.
It was very interesting to get a glimpse of what hides behind any digital construct.
However, it was very challenging for me, especially since the lesson was online and it was difficult to follow what Herman was doing while trying to emulate him on my own device.
Screenshots from the lesson
Jesse Sigalov, software engineer:
14/07/2021
I contacted Jesse to know if creating an app that functions with geolocation could be possible. He confirmed to me that it could be done and that he could act as a consultant, trying do it himself and then showing me how to proceed.
He found that on Unity (the game design software that I use) there was a feature called interactive location API, which help you work with coordinates and build 3d models of the city.
The Screenshots shows the example he made with some London coordinates.
We then played around with the aesthetic possibilities, experimenting with colours and transparency. We also talked a little about how the geolocated spots would appear on the map: different coloured building, a 3D object or logo of some sort, bright spots etc.
14/10/2021
We had a meeting to talk about the development of the app as this expert is going to help me through the process. He had a look at the document I had prepared for him showcasing the app’s structure, features and design (more about this here).
We discussed what easily doable and what would take more time and I shared which screen pages were the most important (The map, the anecdote, the archive), in case we run out of time and cannot achieve everything. The aim is to have a prototype that can convey the spirit of the project efficiently. It is not the end of the world if not every single feature can be included.
I made a google drive with all the informations to be transferred onto the app and we made sure that everything was clear.
21/10/2021
We had another meeting to discuss progress. We mainly spoke about what tool to use to create the Venice map. We settled on a website called Mapbox (more here).
11/11/2021
In this meeting I was shown the final design of the map on the app with the icons I had designed to represent the 5 authentic experiences categories.
The engineer explained to me how to upload the remaining locations to the app through MapBox to speed the process and showed me showed me the finalised home page, which I had imagined. Everything is explained in more details in App design).
We also discussed a way to test the app without being in Venice. While the user is moving in their current location, the map on the app shows them moving through the streets of Venice, which is a fun and interactive way of conveying the function of the app.
18/11/2021
In this meeting we went over the progress, which was consequential. The anecdotes were added, and the home page finalised. It was lovely to see how the project is finally coming to life. More about this in App design.
19/11/2021-25/11/2021
We were able to finalise the visuals of the app, here are a few examples. For more got check out App design.
My 10 minutes presentation was very well received by my peers. They seem to have clearly understood the direction my project is taking and what the intervention was about.
The comment that stood out to me was about how can I improve my current intervention (mock up website) as it is already very detailed and targeted. My answer to this is that in the future I will plan interventions in the real world. For instance, I will directly test certain routes with stakeholders in Venice and not simply investigate whether they like the idea of the routes.
Later, once I have a more finalised product, I will be able to focus more on the vessel ie: website, app, or printed guide.
Tutor feedback:
Graphic-wise, the text could have been more clear, which I agree with, although the fact that I took screenshots may have impacted the definition of the image.
I sounded a little rushed while presenting, which affected the quality of the presentation.
I should Identify who are the makers and influential people in Venice. Fortunately, I am in contact with a few of them:
We are Here Venice (Venice preservation)
Venice Calls (Venice Preservation)
Head master of the Accademia di Belle Arti (art University)
Tour Guide
My tutor advised me to think about the downsides of gamification and to speak with experts in the field about them (a meeting with game designer has been scheduled for the following week).
Here are a few downsides:
Lacking the skills to create a digital vessel
Playing a game may distract from the city’s history
May cause inappropriate behaviour in places where respect must be shown (ex: church, museum)
May not interest older generations
Difficult to give the tour an appropriate timing in order to complete every task and see every location
May blur the boundary between reality and virtuality
Personal feedback from the recording:
We were advised to record our own presentations and process to a self-evaluation.
What went well:
I think the presentation was clear, well-structured and it contained all the points we had been asked to mention, with appropriate and engaging visual support.
What did not go well:
The overall flow of the presentation was disturbed by my frequent use of “hum so” and “and heu”. Furthermore, some stutters here and there could have been avoided if I had felt I little more secure about my presentation. Practicing a few more times would have definitely helped.
Transitions between a section to the next could have been smoother.
I looked quite a lot at my notes for security although I knew quite well what to say.
I intend to create a narrative-based experience to transform the cultural visits into an adventure, essentially gamifying the process of learning and authentically interacting with the city.
Tested research question:
How can gamification encourage anti-social day tourists to seek access to cultural institutions and under-explored areas of the city of Venice?
Index:
Initial ideas
Final Idea
Results
Particularly good feedback
Challenges
Initial ideas:
Initially, I thought I could write a script of the entire tour, which would have included history, art history, narrative…
However, I soon realised that such a format would have made difficult for stakeholders to engage with it. I feared it would look too much like a short novel and put people off from reading something too long. Furthermore, at this stage there are a few uncertainties that prevent me from writing a tour in detail. For instance, I still need to get some cultural institutions and artisans on board with the project. Without their support the route I am focusing on is temporary, everything can still change.
At some point I thought I could make a sort of documentary video with the script, showing videos and pictures of the locations but in the end I decided to opt for something easier to digest and more straight to the point.
Final Idea:
I decided to design a fake website that outlines my game idea.
The platform is called “Knights of Venice” (may still change) after the knights of the order of Saint Mark’s. This was the only knighthood in Venice and was dismantled when the Republic of Venice fell end of the 18th century.
Following research about tourist psychology, one the ways to make them respect the host location is to make them feel involved with it, like they are part of it as well. Therefore, making them knights of the city is a fun way of including them. Furthermore, Venetians may appreciate the resurfacing of the lost knighthood.
There are 5 main features in this fake website: Vision, About, Story, Routes, Homepage.
Home page:
Vision:
This is a quick outline of what the problem is: depopulation of the city, mass tourism, fragile infrastructure.
About:
Here is a quick outline of how the game works: follow the ghost of a murdered merchant, learn about the city’s history, find the clues to unveil a long kept secret, interact with the local to have a more authentic experience.
Story:
This section explains the narrative that the tour is following, what the aim of the game is. The tourists will be guided by the ghost of a murdered merchant in order to find a mysterious and powerful object.
Routes:
The user is presented with a number of route options.
The diamond route is the only developed one. Here are its five locations, each presented with a little summary.
Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo (the hidden gem)
Chiesa di San Zaccaria (the Church)
Palazzo Grimani (The Museum)
Sotoportego dei Preti (Venetian legend)
L’Artista Della Barbaria Venezia (mask artisan)
Results:
To gather feedback I created two different surveys each tailors to one specific type of stakeholder.
I got some really interesting results, some of it was delivered directly to me and not through the survey, especially for the Venetians (they preferred direct contact).
Examples of questions and answers:
Tourists:
Did the message of this project was clearly conveyed through the website?
Would you want to try this gamified tour if you were to visit Venice?
Which should be the vessel of this tour?
Some questions asked to locals:
Do you like the idea that some tourists would explore less mainstream/more private areas of the city?
If yes, do you think that getting Venetians involved in the game could improve local-tourist relations?
Overall, I had very positive and straightforward replies, which is very encouraging.
Particularly good feedback and advice:
Globally, this intervention was successful because I think it is going to make my project grow. There are a few pieces of feedback and advice, which I think will be particularly useful.
One of them is that the narrative of the tour guide could be a metaphor for what happened to Venice (the fact that it was sold to tourism) and that at the end of the game the tourists realise that the precious object they are looking for is not a small trinket but the entire city of Venice. The moral of the story will be that the city is a precious jewel that must be preserved. Consequently, it is a way to connect the story to the actual problem.
Then, another more practical comment was that from the fake website it was not clear enough that the tour was going to include real history and not only fiction, which is something I need to fix. There other details I should clarify, especially when it comes to the Knights of Venice, who they are and what role exactly they play in the game.
Some expressed that although they like the idea of tours, sometimes, they prefer getting lost instead. This is something I could think about. Maybe, the path they take to reach each location should be completely up to them and not to the game. Giving them a general idea of the way could be enough?
I was also adviced new locations to add to the tour such as:
San Giovanni e Paolo Church
Church San Francesco della Vigne
Vivaldi Church
The Arsenale district
Challenges:
This intervention was not perfectly executed and there are definitely things that could have gone better.
One thing that I found quite challenging is to get Venetians to engage with my interventions. Only 4 people in that group filled out compare to 14 in the tourist group survey. I understand now that they prefer giving feedback directly to me rather than through a survey. Furthermore, although I had selected locals that could speak english some may not have been as comfortable reading with large amounts of english text.
I predict that language barriers is going to be a big challenge for this project as I am more comfortable writing in english than in Italian. English is the universal language, which marries itself best with tourism, unfortunately, locals here in Venice are not always the best english speakers. A lot of translating work will have to be done.
When I started sending out the fake website pdf to my stakeholders I realised that I had made a mistake. I forgot to include the (About page), which explains how the game works. Fortunately, those who experienced the intervention without (About) still understood what the project was about but it does not change the fact that it created an inconsistency in how my stakeholders engaged with the intervention. Will be more careful in the future.
Here I display my research on certain art pieces and objects, which I would like to provide the history of, while possibly utilising them as vessels for clues within the game experience.
Index:
Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saint, by Giovanni Bellini
Pesaro Triptych, by Giovanni Bellini
Interesting anecdote about Gentile Bellini
Works cited
Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saint, by Giovanni Bellini
Bellini, G. (1505) Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saint [oil on panel] San Zaccaria Church, Venice.
(Goffen, 1990, pp170-175)
The gold mosaic of the semi-dome displays a decorative pattern of green leaves with touches of red and white, which capture the light of the environment.
An angel sits at the feet of Mary and Christ while playing the lyra. The saints are standing on both sides of the throne
The Church is open on both sides and the viewer is able to admire the landscape. It is very spacious with a lot of light entering from the left.
The side where the light is depicted in the painting coincides with where real light enters the church from the occident. This reinforces the effect that the virgin and child are always turned towards the light.
The sense of light and air, of volume and monumentality gives this composition an new nobility and harmony.
In this work, Bellini re-defines his concept of feminine beauty making the Madonna, Saint Lucia, and Caterina of Alessandria more graceful and slender compared to their preceding incarnations. The heads are smaller and more proportionate to their body.
They have a new 16th century elegance.
The women are saints and martyrs, which is why they hold a palm branch symbol of martyrdom. They offer Christ their suffering symbolised by Catharine’s wheel and Lucy’s crystal vase.
Like the other male saints, their gaze is lowered. The shadows on their faces is more charged around their eyes, which enhances their expressions and gives a more naturalistic feel to the painting as a whole. They underline the profoundness of the emotions especially with Saint Gerolamo.
This is also a way to involve the viewer with the scene: Saint Peter is looking directly at us.
Our psychological access to the altar passes through the gaze of the celestial door.
The elevated position of the Virgin and child is accentuated from the low point of view of the painting, from their gazes pointing down, from the inclination of the heads.
In Saint Zaccaria was celebrated Easter with a Ducal procession considered one of the most prestigious and significant civil rituals of the Republic.
Pesaro Triptych, by Giovanni Bellini
Bellini, G. (1488) Pesaro Triptych [oil on panel]. Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice.
(Goffen, 1990, pp159-162)
In the central panel we can see the elevated Virgin and Child. On the right hand panel we have Saint Nicolò and Saint Pietro. On the left, Saint Benedetto and Saint Marco.
The inscription on the mosaic above Mary says: “ Certain door of heaven, guide my mind, direct my life, may my every action be entrusted to your care”
The gold frame was donated in 1478 by the children of Pietro Pesaro and Franceschina Tron in memory of the death of their mother that same year.
Pietro Pesaro and his children are honoured by the presence of their homonymous saint inside the (pala/dome?). Franceschina is remembered on the inscription of her tomb on the pavement before the altar. This tomb became a burial place for her descendants.
The Saints in the lateral panels are the communicators. Their space is accessible compared to the center piece. The side rooms represent the Pastophorion of a byzantine chapel.
(Pastophorion is one of two chambers within an early Christian and Eastern Christian church building used as sacristies)
This is where they keep the Eucharist before mass.
On the left panel we can notice a very thin strip of earth and sky. The light of this painting seems to be coming from one of these openings.
In this work, Bellini combines, whites, reds, balcks.
Mary’s tunic as Saint Benedict’s Bible contrast with the black garment of the saint, the read of the background brocade (rich fabric), Mary’s red tunic, the red of the saint to his right.
Piramidal gemometry, mary and pedestal
The composition is very harmonious
There is a sense of hope. Christ is turned towards Nicolo and Pietro to bless them. The latter being the homonymous saint of the dead father of the family Pesaro. He draws us in with his intense stair. We must join the scene and the reading of the bible
The text is the veneration of the immaculate Virgin. This establishes a relationship between the picture and who is watching. Here, salvation is offered by the scripture.
Interesting anecdote about Gentile Bellini:
(Zorzi, 1999, pp198)
Foreign Market fascinated by objet d’art produced by local artists. Sultan Mehmed II (Barbaric man who conquered Scutari, Negropont, Constantinople) was so intrigued by Venetian paintings that he invited Gentile Bellini to be a guest at his court. However, when he presented poor Bellini with the severed head of a salve in order to show him exactly how he wanted him to portray the decapitation of John the Baptist, the terrified artist accepted his farewell gift of a magnificent chain and promptly departed for Venice.
Polyptych of Saint Vincenzo Ferrer, by Giovanni Bellini:
Bellini, G. (1464-1470) Polyptych of Saint Vincenzo Ferrer [tempera]. Basilica Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice.
(I am most likely to use this painting in the tour as the where the other paintings are located will not appear.)
(Humfrey,1988, pp403-405)
The fundamental message was that access to the soteriological benefits of Christ’s self-sacrifice was to be gained above all through the meditation of Saint Vincenzo.
The three predella scenes focus on his powers as a miracle worker (thaumaturge).
This saint was regarded as a miracle healer, celebrated in the three scenes of the predella
It is no accident that he is flanked by the plagued saints Christopher and Sebastian..
Works cited:
Goffen, R. (1990) Giovanni Bellini. Milan: Federico Motta Editore. Second edition.
Humfrey, P. (1988) ‘Competitive Devotions: The Venetian Scuole Piccole as Donors of Altarpieces in the in the Years around 1500’, The Art Bulletin, Vol. 70, No. 3 , pp. 401-423 .
Zorzi, A. (1999) Venice 697-1797 A City, A Republic, An Empire. New York: The Overlook Press Peter Mayer Publisher, INC.
Identify what is the problem/niche/gap in the market
Indicate an area for potential -HOW by creating and testing
Never assumer that people know what you are talking about so must be very clear
Write description of the question
What-Why-How:
What = the question
Why = personal and professional motivations
How = Ex: I will use humour and design to create an artefact intervention
Original question:
How can I make unprofitable mass tourists behave more like cultural tourists to promote sustainable tourism in Venice?
My own feedback on my question:
The terms: (unprofitable, cultural tourists, sustainable) lack clarity. It is clear in my head what they refer to but, for instance, not everyone is aware of the characteristics of a cultural tourist.
The terms “sustainable” is also very unclear as it can englobe many significations including environmental , which is not something i am exploring. This can lead to confusion.
Tutor’s feedback:
I am merging two ideas in this question:
Behaviour and Financial
Then, to clarify my thoughts it would be a good idea to create two different questions, each focusing one of these aspects of tourism. They may organically come back together. Moreover, some of this information could end up in the HOW.
I should look at models and examples of heritage preservation and see how they were successful or not.
Peer feedback:
I am assuming that all mass tourists are unprofitable and all cultural tourists profitable.
I think to clarify this i need to further define what I mean by “unprofitable”, which is mainly financial. It is a key characteristics of Cultural tourists that they spend a significant amount of money in the host location, hence they are always more “profitable” than “unprofitable” mass tourists.
I need to make it clear that I am targeting a specific group of unprofitable mass tourists (the day tourists).
However, i do not quite agree with the statement that I assume that all mass tourists are unprofitable as I specify that I am targeting “unprofitable” mass tourists.
Improving the question:
I separated the two themes that I was merging in the original question (tourist behaviour and financial profit) and wrote a new question for each.
Financial:
How can I make financially unprofitable day tourists more profitable in Venice?
Behaviour:
How can I make day tourists pay more attention to deserted areas of the city and cultural institutions?
When I was found with these two versions I felt a little stuck as since my projects encompasses the two sides, I was not sure which direction to take. My peers made me realise that focusing on behaviour was probably more appropriate because the financial benefit will be a side effect of bringing more life to cultural institutions and under-explored areas of the city. Additionally, it sounds less brutal and money-focused to avoid putting finances at the center of the conversation.
Once I knew which direction to take i started refining the question and making it more compatible with my intervention (a gasified tour experience). Therefore, I thought it was key to include the word gamification as it what I am trying to test.
Updated question:
How can gamification encourage day tourists to seek access to cultural institutions and under-explored areas of the city of Venice?
Description:
The aim of this study is to use gamification to encourage day tourists, the most invasive and least profitable tourist group in Venice, to drift off from the crowded and unauthentic tourist routes and discover under-explored areas of the city to augment financial profitability and overall city well-being.
Since I am trying to develop a tour guide, I need to have a really good understanding of Venice’s history. This section contains general historical facts about Venice and about the specific location I have decided to include on my tour. I will be using some of these historical facts to feed the fictional narrative of the tour.
Index:
The beginning of Venice
Commerce and Industry
War, trade and enemies
Venice’s marriage to the sea
Interesting fact about the Venetian language
Facades and Party tradition
Carnival
Convent Theatre
Works cited
The Beginning of Venice:
The first conquerors of the territory were the Venetes, which originated from the black sea and, which gave their name to the region.Then came the Romans followed by the Byzantines, which heavily influenced the Venetians. After freeing themselves from Constantinople (8th century), they put in place the Republique of the Serenissima. (Bertolazzi, 2006, pp22)
Doge used to be dictator-like but beginning 1032, he became more of a magistrate elected for life. (González De Lara, 2008, pp251)
Venice was the most stable Republic in history as it survived 1100 (Mille cent) years. The economic rise of Venice was based on the expansion of trade along the Mediterrrenean and beyond.Most profitable trade was in oriental luxuries, which came from the Byzantine empire, the Crusader States and Alexandria (they called these territories Romania). (Bertolazzi, 2006, pp13-28)
A commercial round-trip from Venice to the East took 6 to 9 months. (González De Lara, 2008, 252)
Commerce and Industry:
(Zorzi, 1999, pp190)
Industry primarily involved the Manufacturing of salt, glass, wool and the sale of timber
Also iron ore, which came from the mines of Styria and Carinthia. These good were sent to Byzantium and the Moslem Orient in exchange for luxury goods.
One of these goods were spices, which were just as important as salt. Widely used to improve the taste of food but also to create the modern day equivalent of alcoholic beverages.
In the Middle ages and 16th century slaves were bought and sold in Venice. Mainly Russians and Tartars. Sold in mass to the Muslims but Venetians also bought them as domestic workers and farmhands.
War, trade, and enemies:
(UNESCO)
Venice was strategically positioned as it was within reach of the Byzantine Empire and traders from the Near East.
Founded in the 5th century AD it became a maritime power in the 9th century
11th century, military missions were sent out to subdue the pirates that threatened maritime trade from their strongholds alond the Dalmatian coast
The city grew in power and importance after the sack of Constantinople by crusading forces in 1204, a campaign that was orchestrated by the Venetians, now wholly independent from the empire.
During this time they established links that reached as far as the Mongol Empire and Perisa and Armenia, the Caucasus and Asia Minor.
Trade treaty between Venice and the Mongol Empire was established in 1221.
Example of products:
Salt
Grain
Porcelain
Pearl
From Egypt, Asia Minor and Far East:
Gems
Mineral dyes
Peacock feathers
Spices
Textiles (silks, cottons, brocades)
By the end of the 13th century it was one of the most prosperous cities in Europe
Intermittent war with Genoa, another independent city state with trading ambitions, was a feature of much of the 12th and 13th centuries,it was the maritime strength of the Ottoman Turks that would eventually weaken the Venetian hold on the Mediterranean and break their monopoly in the 17th century, ushering in a new era of competition for the control of trade between Europe and the east.
Venice’s marriage to the sea:
(UNESCO)
The close relationship between the city and the sea was vital in this development, as symbolized in the Sposalizio del Mare, or Marriage to the Sea, a ceremony established sometime in the early Middle Ages, whereby the Doge (the city’s ruler) sailed out into the Adriatic, surrounded by a procession of boats, and offered prayers. From the late 12th century, this became more elaborate, and the tradition was established that the Doge should also throw a ring into the water, signifying the marriage of the city to the sea.
Interesting fact about the Venetian language:
(Zorzi, 1999, pp198)
Half of the spoken vocabulary in Greece is pure Venetian. Almost the entire navifational terminology comes from Venetian. (orza, molla, drizza, finestrino)
Stories about Venetian objects and Constantinople: (Venice 697-1797 A City, A Republic, An Empire)
(These anecdotes could help me decide what mysterious object the tourists will be looking for and also embellish the narrative of the tour).
The Jewellery supplier of Suleiman II (was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1687 to 1691) was Francesco Zen, the Bailo of Constantinople (diplomat who oversaw the affairs of the Republic of Venice in Constantinople). Zen persuaded the Sultan to buy a gold ring with a repeating watch, and fabulous jewel-incrusted helmet.
A daring Turkish admiral called Ulugh Ali who was planning his revenge after miraculously surviving the battle of Leponato, ordered a precious jewel case for his woman from the goldsmith Battista Rizzoletti, whose shop was located on the Rialto under the sign of Jesus. However, by the time the jewel arrived in Constantinople in 1598, the admiral had already passed away.
Façades and Party tradition:
(Muir, 1979, pp18)
In Venice, the most important door is the one that opens to the Grand Canal. This displays an obsession with fine appearances and outward show.
The face so important that the facades facing the canal contrast with the side of the buildings (less public parts). Outward beauty sign of inward virtue (Renaissance belief, rhetorical grace and Neoplatonic belief)
*
(Vircondelet, 2008, pp11)
There is a strong party tradition. The 18th century, during Venice’s decline was the time where they partied the most.
Travellers, poetrs, artists, discribbed the customs, the parties, the processions, the fairs.
During its decline, having extravagant parties was a way to trick Venetians into an illusion of glory and later to attract the first tourists. Venice also stood out for its parties, even in the middle ages.
The Carnival:
(Vircondelet, 2008, pp17)
The Carnival is mentioned in documents as far as the 10th century under the reign of doge Vital Florier. It is probably the their contact with the orient that gave the Venetians this taste for fastuous parties.
It lasted 6 months! Started in October, ended on the carême only paused by Christmas.
The official start was the 26 December for Saint-Étienne. Combination of a pagan feast and the religious cult.
(theatre performances, games, street shows, private performances)
In parallel a counter carnival was happening. Religion organised procession and acts of penitence to incite Venetians to repent instead of indulging in debauchery. But was not greatly successful.
The masks were extremely important as during the festivities people from any social class became equals and partied together.
The mask, generalised in the 18th century was mandatory. It allowed anyone to participate to the feasts and enter private parties etc.
Social equality and transgression:
(Vircondelet, 2008, pp18)
The most popular disguise (which allowed for the most anonymity), is the lavara (most popular mask) white and the rest of the face covered by a balck silk vail. Black hat and a tabarro (traditional black cape)
Convent Theatre:
(Scippa Bhasin, 2014, pp19-21)
During a carnival season merchant Giovanni Battista brought his concubine on the island of Maddalena Farner Giudecca to see a comedy performed at the convent of Santa Maria Maddalena.
It was home to repentant prostitutes (founded in 1530). Accepted women who wanting to escape and expiate their lives in the sex trade
Covents in Venice accused of many theatrical infractions:
Performing in their parlours for outsiders
Selecting plays that were more secular than religious
Borrowing draperies and costumes
Acting secular female characters in jewels and costumes
Cross-dressing as secular and religious men.
By age 7 young girls were offered up with substantial monastic dowries in hand, so that a sister could be married off (by way of an even larger matrimonial dowry) to a advantageous match.
Very common practice in Venice.
Which is why the nuns were less pious and indulged in public-performance tradition.
Works Cited:
Bertolazzi, A. (2006) “Au-Dessus De Venise” En vol sur la Sérénissime et la Vénitie. Vercelli: Editions White Star.
González De Lara, Y. (2008) ‘The secret of Venetian success: a public-order, reputation-based institution’, European Review of Economic History, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 247-285.
Muir, E. (1979), ‘Images of Power: Art and Pageantry in Renaissance Venice’, The American Historical Review, Vol. 84, No. 1, pp. 16-52.
Perry, M. (1977), ‘Saint Mark’s Trophies: Legend, Superposition, and Archaeology in Renaissance Venice’, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 40, pp. 27-49.
