Designing Blended Environments: Cultural Heritage as a Tool to Create Humane Virtual Spaces and Tech-inspired Seamlessness in Tangible Products

Abstract

The omnipresence of technology has resulted in the development of the “phygital” realm—an ecosystem of connected physical places and digital spaces, creating opportunities to design efficient and emotionally charged experiences. Using the accelerating digitalism, artists and designers have been exploring the correlation between one’s identity and the digital realm, and how it will evolve in the future. The study in this paper examines how the visual language of both tangible and virtual spaces impacts our perception of space and overall experience. While physical products and spaces continue to incorporate technology to build an omnichannel presence, the digital world is perceived as a rather machine-led virtual environment lacking human presence and quality. This paper proposes the idea of a symbiotic exchange between the visual language of the physical and the digital to create fluid hybrid environments—modifying the aesthetic of tangible products and spaces to create a sense of tech-inspired seamlessness, while virtual environments can draw from the time-honored cultural heritage, to incorporate nature and humanity in the cyberspace. Cultural heritage can be used to exploit the typical advantages of both virtual and physical reality, ensuring a smooth transition for the users into blended environments in the future.