The HCTC is an educational resource that provides unique learning experiences for students at UGA. Not only is it used for classroom demonstration, it helps teach students about museum practices, and serves as a research tool. From the digitalized metadata, to the physical garments, there is so much history to be learned through the clothing featured in the collection. With garments spanning over various eras in history, the collection features a diverse array of styles, textures, and trends. 

This project brings various pieces from the collection’s archive together in one virtual space. As the world starts to shift focus to digital spaces, the collection wants to innovate towards the virtual as well. Serving as an educational tool and a public facing tool, the online collection comprises detailed shots and descriptions of the clothing, and an augmented reality feature of select pieces. The augmented reality technology is an attempt to take the exhibit to the next level. When asked what they would like to see in an online exhibit, potential users mentioned wanting an experience that mimics a real one. Overall, users want something interactive, entertaining, educational, and engaging. The exhibit in combination with the AR features will achieve just that.

The process started with gathering inspiration from other museums to see how they function in a virtual space. From the MET to Google Arts & Culture, there are a variety of virtual museums that include virtual reality exhibits to simple presentation style educational tools. From there, the client provided a vision for the aesthetic. The website consists of a few moving pieces, including the collections database and the information it holds about each piece, a static display of the clothing, and the AR technology that has been tested for the exhibit. This combination makes for a final exhibit that will hopefully be every museum and fashion lovers dream!