During the first week in June, we were joined by Michael Guerin, Founder and CEO of Imvizar, an organisation that is transforming visitor attractions with immersive storytelling. Soon, they will be launching Lureo, the world’s first no-code spatial storytelling platform, and we were lucky enough to get a sneak peek and try it out!

What Is Spatial Storytelling?

Unlike traditional storytelling, spatial storytelling uses physical arrangement and sensory elements to communicate a narrative through the design, layout, and visuals of a space. This allows audiences to experience stories in a physical and immersive way. Often, this can include the integration of technologies, like augmented reality (AR), to create an interactive and emotional connection for audiences.

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The Power of Spatial Storytelling with Augmented Reality

More and more, visitor attractions are looking to enhance their attractions with technology, and many are looking to enhance visitor experience with augmented reality storytelling. But why are these organisations turning to tech?

Real Representations of an Experience

It can be challenging to create an emotional experience for visitors when you have little to work with. By filling a space with augmented reality elements, you can add visual and auditory elements to enhance that visitor experience and show a real point in history, share deep insights or entertain audiences.

For example, you can bring a castle keep to life by having an AR medieval feast take place, with the sights and sounds of the lords and ladies enjoying their meal. You may even want to have a narrator or a virtual character telling a story or explaining the scene.

Enhanced Audience Engagement

One of the most powerful aspects of spatial storytelling is the ability to welcome audiences to participate in the narrative themselves. By creating AR elements that interact with the audiences, it is easier to encourage deeper exploration into the topic at hand as they feel involved in the story. This can lead to repeat visits, higher engagement of younger audiences, and a more memorable experience overall.

Memorable Emotional Connections

Building emotional connections is one of the primary goals of many visitor attractions, and using technology can be a useful tool to help to do this. Shifting narrative perspective, so that audiences have a first-person view of the experience can often create a meaningful and memorable experience that audiences take away with them after the visit.

Building Augmented Reality Storytelling Experiences

When you are creating your storytelling experiences, you will need to think about:

Location: Where is your experience taking place? What is in the surrounding area? How can your experience compliment the space, rather than replace it?

AR Visuals: What sort of visuals do you want to include? How will the AR elements move within the space? How will these visuals help to tell the story?

Sound: Do you want to include sound in your experience? Will you include dialogue, element audio or both? Is there any external background noise that you will need to take into consideration?

Interactivity: How will the experience interact with the space around it? How will it interact with the other virtual characters or objects? Most importantly, how will this experience interact with the user?

Field of View (FoV): What will this experience look like when experienced through a smart phone or tablet? Can users stand close to the experience, or do they need to be further away? How does this effect the experience overall?

User Movement: As the user moves around the experience, what does this look like? Can the user go 360 degrees all the way around the experience?

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What Did Attendees Think? 

"This is a brilliant resource for non-profits. Thank you, 5G Immersive Lab! We have really appreciated the help and information."

-Tadhg Blommerde, The Lit & Phil

"Attending the 5G Immersive Lab event was a fantastic experience. The environment was professional and welcoming, with friendly and knowledgeable staff who made the day enjoyable. The venue setup was impressive, and the software demo truly showcased the potential of XR technology and spatial storytelling."

- Martin Pickup, Northumberland Wildlife Trust

"This event opened the door to a field I’ve always been curious about but found hard to wrap my head around. It was refreshing to be taught by a market leader, and surrounded by such a diverse and inspiring group of people. Discovering a well-equipped, welcoming, and genuinely helpful workspace right in the heart of the city was a real bonus. I’m looking forward to making the most of the hot desking, getting more involved, and joining future events."

- This attendee wishes to remain anonymous.

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Final Thoughts

Thank you so much to Michael Guerin for joining us share some valuable insights and examples of immersive experience from across the globe. If you would like to learn more about Imvizar and Lureo, please checkout the website here.

Want to chat to us about the capabilities of immersive technology or learn more about how to get started with augmented reality? Get in touch with Liza, our Immersive Specialist by emailing: liza.kukovska@sunderlandsoftwarecity.com or book a one-to-one session with our team here.