Digital storytelling for emotional engagement in museums
Design and evaluation of the Hunterian Antonine Wall Emotive experiences
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7514604 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maria Economou (0000-0003-1797-9262, University of Glasgow, corresponding author), Hilary Young (0000-0002-0815-9943, Forumm), Emilia Sosnowska (0000-0002-7565-2850, Glasgow Museums) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 324-355 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Heritage Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1352-7258 • E-ISSN: 1470-3610 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13527258.2025.2591613 |
| OpenAlex | W4416716182 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 34 |
Museums increasingly recognise that emotional engagement shapes visitor experiences, yet systematic methodological frameworks for designing and evaluating digital storytelling that fosters affective connections are lacking. This paper advanced the field by presenting novel design insights and a rigorously tested evaluation framework for digital storytelling experiences that promote emotional engagement in cultural heritage settings. We examine how emotionally resonant digital narratives can enhance visitor connections with museum objects while maintaining historical accuracy. Drawing on the EMOTIVE project (2016–2019), we present two digital experiences designed for the Antonine Wall display at the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum: ‘Ebutius’s Dilemma’ and ‘Views on Verecunda’s Life’. Using a mixed-methods evaluation approach combining observations, interviews, body mapping, and computer logging, we assessed how these experiences affected visitors’ emotional connections, engagement, learning and understanding, and critical reflection. Results demonstrate that character-driven storytelling incorporating universal themes (e.g. identity, duty, family) significantly enhanced visitor engagement with archaeological objects, particularly those that might otherwise be overlooked. Our findings reveal that balancing historical accuracy with emotional storytelling can benefit from transparent design strategies, co-creative development processes, and facilitated dialogue. This research makes three contributions: a transferable methodological framework for evaluating emotional engagement in digital heritage with international applicability; empirically validated design principles for emotionally engaging interpretation; and theoretically grounded evidence demonstrating how digital storytelling can bridge temporal and cultural distances in museum contexts with fragmentary material remains
Digital Storytelling · Emotive · Narrative · Public engagement · Storytelling · Visitor pattern · 3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage · Augmented Reality Applications · Museums and Cultural Heritage
Emotional Heritage
The Elephant in the Room
Measurement of Science Museum Visitors’ Emotional Experiences at Exhibits Designed to Encourage Productive Struggle
Digital storytelling
Emotion, Affective Practices, and the Past in the Present
Critical Encounters with Immersive Storytelling
The Enchantment of the Archaeological Record
Affect and Emotion
Developing dialogue in co-produced exhibitions
The affective turn in museums and the rise of affective curatorship
Historical empathy in a museum
With New Eyes I See
Ghosts in the Garden
Immersive sacred heritage
The practice and potential of heritage emotion research
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |