Exploring the Feasibility of Diegetic User Interfaces in Immersive Virtual Exhibitions within the Cultural Heritage

In the last few years, modern immersive technology has been used to exploit new digital resources overcoming the limitations of conventional exhibitions proving to be an invaluable instrument capable of bridging the gap between the visitor and the cultural space. However, to promote visitor enjoyment and to enhance the learning process in relation to the cultural heritage, it is fundamental to propose the cultural data to the visitor in an appropriate way through interfaces that help to focus the visitor's attention on the work of art in question. With this aim, new graphical user interfaces should be designed, following a diegetic approach and so providing a more natural and immersive environment to the user. Inspired by the gaming industry, in which the diegetic transformation of graphical user interfaces has already been introduced, in this paper, we will analyze the opportunities offered by the diegetic approach and will evaluate its relevance to the cultural domain. We will highlight the issues related to the applicability of diegetic user interfaces to an immersive virtual exhibition by discussing the different types of cultural data that can be proposed to a visitor and how that should be fictionally integrated into the scene.