Date of Award
8-23-2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Design
Advisor(s)
Don Carr
Keywords
Chinese American;Cultural Representation;Local History Museum;Museum Audience Participation;Public Engagement;Racial and Ethnic Minority
Abstract
Local history museums play a key role in historical education, identity strengthening, and community connections. However, many Chinese Americans are unwilling to visit these museums, which weakens the museums’ positive impact on these communities, and they miss out on opportunities to connect with local history and culture. I focused on 3 important factors that can impact minorities’ engagement—cultural representative, low-cost participation, and interactive visiting experience. I conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 10 U.S. born Asian American adults and conducted case study on several design projects. Inspired by research and user feedback, I created Origin Story Project (OSP) - an integrated platform linked to physical signs in streets. Signs feature NFC tags & QR codes placed near historical buildings/blocks significant to minorities, directing users to OSP. Customized pop-up ads/posters are crafted to provide alternative access. OSP allows individuals to share experiences/narratives related to the city's history, which would be curated into local history archives on the website.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Chen, Zhiru, "Bridging Heritage and Identity: Integrated Platform Design for Chinese American History Exploration" (2024). Theses - ALL. 902.
https://surface.syr.edu/thesis/902
