Augmented Reality in Cultural Heritage: A Narrative Review of Design, Development and Evaluation Approaches
Anna Chatsiopoulou, Panagiotis D. Michailidis
Abstract
Cultural heritage is important for every group and society, as it represents a part of their identity and helps preserve traditions, along with significant tangible and intangible elements. These elements are not only passed on to future generations but also play a role in education today. Many studies have examined digital applications that promote cultural heritage, particularly those that use Augmented Reality (AR) technology. However, few have systematically examined the methodologies used in the design, development and evaluation of AR applications for cultural heritage. This narrative review addresses that gap by analyzing 45 papers published between 2008 and 2024 from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The review identifies the main motivations for AR applications, such as enhancing the learning experience, promoting tourism and the use of gamification. The majority of these applications concentrate on tangible cultural heritage, such as historical buildings and cultural routes, while intangible heritage remains less explored. In most cases, AR applications were developed with a focus on user experience, using various development tools and showing different levels of technical complexity. Although many applications initiated evaluation processes, few completed them thoroughly. These evaluations vary widely, ranging from usability tests to pre-/post-tests. The results generally report positive impacts in terms of learning and user experience. This review offers a structured framework and useful insights for researchers regarding the design and evaluation of AR applications and helps identify research gaps and limitations for future work.