Rixing Go Digital Tšebeletso Ea Boitelo

Press Kit

Unique Properties

This project introduces a visitor-centered self-guided service framework, which includes points of interest, and a correspondent web-based mobile guide.

The mobile guide connects artifacts, knowledge, and extended services in Rixing Type Foundry. Visitors can stop by a numbered signage, click on the correspondent number on the mobile to learn about the artifacts or shop souvenirs on their own, leaving staff more time to better serve customers.

People can enjoy the guide in sequence or move to different POI to compose their own journey of visit. As the numbered signage of POI is placed beside the artefacts, visitors will see the pre-recorded guide of a docent explaining, just like in real time.

Dimensions & Packaging

1. A mobile web design compatible with most personal handheld devices, size of variables.
2. A set of user interfaces to be displayed on 1080 x 1920px portrait screen.
3. The board with a QR Code to activate the self-guided service in portrait A4.
4. The numbered signage of POI in oval x 8 pcs (number extendable), 200 mm x 120 mm x 5 mm for each.
5. The overall map of POI in landscape, 297 mm x 420 mm x 5 mm.
6. Cloud storage, Squarespace.
7. Video and Audio storage, Vimeo.

Tags

self-service, self-guided, service design, mobile guide, digital guide, museum guide, webapp, type foundry, letterpress

Production Technology

The self-guide system is realized as a mobile web compatible with most smartphones (e.g. iOS or Android). Since it's web-based, no app installation is needed. Just scan the QR code, the mobile guide service will start immediately. When experiencing, the user interface keeps the visitor's own system display preference setting to fit individual style, and visitors can review again all the guided tour contents after leaving the Foundry.

We developed the mobile guide using Squarespace, a coding-free responsive web design platform. The audio and video contents are stored in the Vimeo cloud platform, and can be updated with ease.

The environmental signages are printed acrylics coating with Pantone 433C matte that aligns with the color schemes of Rixing Type Foundry.

Design Challenge

Rixing is less of a for-profit business, but more of a social enterprise devoted to preserving the disappearing type-making culture. Therefore, financial condition was hard for Rixing before we had worked with Rixing to optimize their visitor service experience.

Design-wise, the challenge lies in the design of UX/UI workflow and the attention paid to the details. Each web page UI needs carefully arranged and hint at the user on actions to take next, and keep the user experience consistent.

Research

The project is about transforming Rixing into a visitor-centric experiential destination. Value propositioning, stakeholder interviews, and design workshops were conducted, and customer experience journey mapping is used to summarize an optimal and comprehensive guided tour experience from the visitor's perspective.

Based on the research insights gained, points of interests are identified and made inter-connected to be experienced systematically, whilst providing the visitors with options to experience different points of interests freely. A self-guided service framework is then implemented as a mobile guide so that the visitor can learn about the place, artefacts, and letterpress-related knowledge, and shop commodities throughout the self-guided journey.

Inspiration

Rixing is well known as the world’s last and only type foundry still making Traditional Chinese letterpress. To convey the cultural values of such disappearing industry heritage - letterpressing, Rixing devotes to offering guided tours to every visitor.

However, the guide quality varied from staff to staff, making the visitor experience inconsistent. Also, it takes an average of 27 minutes for a comprehensive guide for each visitor, which is time-consuming, labor-intense, and gradually becomes a financial burden for Rixing. To resolve the crisis, we’ve introduced a self-guided service to free human labor and enhance visitor experience.

Project Duration

The project started on Sep 2022 in Rixing Type Foundry in Taipei, Taiwan.

Operation Flow

1. The visitors scan the QR Code shown on the front gate of Rixing Type Foundry to activate the self-guided service.
2. The mobile guide opens in visitors’ web browser, and the user follows the hint on the interface to watch the instruction video on how-to use the self-guided service.
3. Visitors arrive at a numbered point of interests (POI), and then click on the correspondent number on their mobile guide to watch and listen to the guided tour of that POI.
4. Visitors can experience sequentially or jump to different POI at their own will, review the POI after going home, and/or link to extensive information/website for online shopping or further explorations.

Image Credits

Image #1: Photographer CrisKa Photography, The Digital Guide Designed for Rixing Type Foundry, 2023.
Image #2: Creator Ting-Han Chen, The Map of Points of Interest in Rixing Type Foundry, 2022.
Image #3: Photographer CrisKa Photography, The Digital Guide Designed for Rixing Type Foundry, 2023.
Image #4: Photographer China Productivity Center, The Video of the Guided Tour shown on a user's screen, 2022.
Image #5: Creator Ting-Han Chen, The UI designs of the Self-Serviced Mobile Guide, 2023.