Xiaoduo Xu

First and second supervisors

• Miss Ava Fatah gen. Schieck
• Prof Jian Kang

Abstract

Previous studies have indicated that music affects certain human behaviours, particularly in museums. Among all the properties of music, music tempo has not been explored in this context. Human duration of stay is considered an essential indicator of an exhibition's success, but its relationship with music has not been studied. Interactivity, as an essential factor in interactive design, provides a multi-directional communication that can integrate all the elements and explore their relationship. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between music tempo and human duration in different scales of museum display spaces, with different numbers of display elements, and then uses interaction design as a tool to test whether this relationship can be used to adjust the human duration of stay.

Four virtual experiments will be conducted as part of the research. Experiment 1 investigates whether music tempo affects the human duration of stay. Previous literature indicates that space scale and display elements are essential factors affecting this, therefore Experiment 2 explores whether the relationship between music tempo and human duration of stay still holds within different display scales and elements within a museum setting. As crowded conditions can influence the duration of stay, Experiment 3 tests whether these conditions will affect the relationship between music tempo and human duration of stay. Experiment 4, applying interactive design, tests whether the duration of stay can be influenced by adjusting the music's tempo when the museum space becomes overcrowded. This study can benefit museum display spaces to better manage their space, but also offer possibilities for interactive sound design experiments to be applied in other display spaces.

Biography

Xiaoduo Xu has a background in architectural, interior and urban design, previously working for Neri & Hu and the Tongji Architectural Design (Group). She studied Architecture at Tongji University and holds a Master’s degree in Advanced Urbanism from Bauhaus University. Xiaoduo is currently researching  her Architectural Space & Computation MPhil/PhD at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. Her research interests are related to music and behaviour in museum space, inspired by her early piano playing experience. 

Image: Xiaoduo Xu