Begin with the visitor’s task, then check what the tour platform actually permits. Reading clues, collecting evidence, answering questions and receiving feedback can happen in a website interface. In-scene hotspots, camera tracking and location detection require additional platform support. WEDO’s Eternal Archive currently offers five research missions; the external tour is unavailable while those missions remain playable.
Start with a learning or communication goal
More questions do not automatically make a better experience. Define one idea visitors should be able to explain afterwards, then design clues that help them discover it. The tone may differ across exhibitions, cultural venues and brand events, but the task should have a meaningful connection to the setting.
Build a short, complete interaction loop
A useful loop is observe, record an interpretation, gather evidence, answer and read the explanation. Each step should make the next action clear. Feedback should help visitors understand, while hints should offer graduated support instead of encouraging repeated random guesses.
Separate the interface from scene control
Embedding a third-party tour does not automatically let the website detect where someone is looking. Cross-origin frames have access boundaries. SDKs, events and editor features require verified support and permissions. Separate confirmed functions from experiments and unavailable features in the specification.
Source:MDN — iframe ↗
What the Eternal Archive currently demonstrates
The example supports initial interpretations, evidence cards, answers, hints, completion feedback and returning progress in the same browser. It does not track camera direction or detect arrival inside the 3D scene. With the external tour unavailable, the interface identifies the research-mission mode. Restoring the tour also requires testing.
Test interruptions as well as the happy path
Test small-screen reading, touch controls, slow connections, reloads, hints, answer feedback and a clear route back to the introduction. Starting an experience, completing it and contacting the studio are distinct events. Entry clicks cannot establish completion or commercial outcomes.
Prototype one testable chapter
Prepare the audience, story material, publication permissions, tour link and intended duration, then prototype one complete chapter. Validate the interaction and platform before adding tasks, languages or scenes. This makes limitations visible early and gives reviewers something concrete to assess.
A quick commissioning checklist
- Do the story and tasks relate to the place?
- Which interactions are on the website and which need viewer support?
- Can the core task be completed when the external scene is unavailable?