Did you know that the Morse Museum in Orlando, Florida has the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Tiffany Studios? Not only do they have Tiffany Studio’s famous dragonfly and wisteria lamps, they also have original drawings (aka cartoons) for their lead lined glass creations and his chapel interior from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Wow!
I think it’s time to build a Tiffany Studios experience in VR. This VR app could include a guided tour of Tiffany studios and a visit to Tiffany’s store in New York City. And, let’s present them both as they would have appeared c. 1905, when Clara Driscoll was making (hushed) waves as a lead glass designer in a field that was dominated by men. Ms. Driscoll could even guide the tour of the workshop. Tiffany’s store could be populated with 3d scans of the collections of the Morse Museum. And, maybe, users could even try sorting and blowing glass.
Persona
Julie is a 15 year old high school sophomore. Her favorite subject is history. She also loves to read stories about strong women. She’s interested in using VR to explore the world and is a frequent user of Google Arts & Culture.
Quote: “Whoa! Did you see this?”
Accessibility
Julie’s parents are willing to splurge a bit to give their daughter great VR experiences, but not too much!
Interactivity
A device with a controller would give Julie greater ability to interact with her environment. This would enable her to engage in a game, like sorting and selecting glass for a Tiffany design.
Realism and Graphical Fidelity
A realistic environment is important here. High poly 3d models would be ideal.
Participation
Julie could be both a passive viewer and a participant. In some spaces, simply being able to look around the space would be sufficient.
Recommended Platform
Samsung Gear would be a good platform for making the app available for use at home. However, if the museum were interested in hosting the app on-site, the possibilities that arise with a high immersion platform are enticing.