The paper presents an experimental research project focused on the dissemination of the architectural and urban history of Palazzo Ducale in Genoa through accessible digital storytelling and augmented reality technologies. The study develops interactive itineraries based on QR codes, mobile applications, digital maps, hand-drawn visual narratives, virtual tours, and AR overlays to communicate the historical transformations of the palace and its urban surroundings to non-specialist audiences. Using smartphones and tablets, users can visualize historical reconstructions, architectural changes, decorative elements, and inaccessible spaces directly superimposed onto the existing urban and architectural context. The project emphasizes inclusivity, ease of use, visual communication, and edutainment, proposing lightweight and accessible AR systems as tools for heritage dissemination and public engagement.
Via Porro: Reading and Inspirations from an Urban Space
The paper explores the regeneration of an urban space in Genoa through a perceptual and visual communication-driven approach. Focusing on Via Porro, an area affected by the collapse of the Morandi Bridge, the study investigates how visual perception, storytelling, and immersive representations can support urban design processes and public engagement. The methodology combines urban analysis, perceptual mapping, and design proposals visualized through photomontages, 3D modeling (Archicad), and real-time rendering (Twinmotion). The results are communicated through immersive videos and 360° visualizations, enabling stakeholders to compare current conditions with proposed interventions and to better understand spatial transformations. The research highlights the role of visual narrative as a tool for inclusivity and participatory urban planning, even in the absence of fully developed XR systems.
Information and Experimentation: Custom Made Visual Languages
The collaboration between the Architecture and Design department and Grandi Navi Veloci, which began last year from the point of view of setting the visual perception of customer caring on board, was then developed with reference to the issue of communicating the data that are necessary in a certain situation; this occasion was emblematically identified in the often unspoken request for the reassurance of the user in the face of moments of unease or concern. From an initial cataloging of the factors that determine the state of insecurity, we moved on to their possible configuration through AR, with elements that inform passengers of the protection and safety mechanisms that are not im-mediately perceptible.The project, therefore, studies visual languages and latest generation applications that, combined with the use of AI, are able to guarantee involvement through the communication of messages tailored to specific situations.
Visual Languages: On–Board Communication as a Perception of Customercaring
The year 2020 should have been one of confirmation of the continuous growth in the “cruise tour-ism sector”: new ships for delivery, new constructions, and the design trend of the gigantism of these means of transport. If, at first, ensuring a correct perception of orientation on board these new ships were a complex challenge and not yet fully resolved, today with the outcomes of the Covid pandem-ic it appears even more and more complex.The logistical communication of the past now seems to be no longer sufficient: the collapse of cruise bookings has introduced serious problems in the sector which must not only rethink new models of internal organization on board, but also reconsider how to regain the trust of potential passengers, frightened at the idea of getting on a ship.This research introduces some reflections and proposals shared with industry operators and aimed at the reformulation of approaches and languages in order to bring potential customers closer to the Cruise Experience.