Design Resources to Enhance Access to Coloured Collections Through Interactive Experiences

This chapter presents the design strategies and experimental outcomes of the PERCEIVE project, aimed at enhancing access to coloured heritage through interactive and hybrid experiences. Grounded in the principles of authenticity, sense of care, and participation, the research translates studies on colour perception, digital reconstruction, and conservation into reusable design resources for museums. Four prototypes—The Gifts of Isis, Echoes of Loss, Tiny Conservators, and the Open Space Museum—exemplify these principles in practice. Central to this process is also the PERCEIVE Design Toolbox, an integrated framework supporting co-design, prototyping, exhibition planning and evaluation. Lastly, the demonstrators test further methods to foster participatory, embodied, and sustainable approaches to coloured collections.