Model Design & Interaction
The Daufuskie3D website is structured around two distinct but interrelated sections: Memory Sites and Thesis. This bifurcation reflects the dual function of the platform—to serve as a community-facing repository of cultural memory and as a scholarly site for methodological documentation. The architecture was custom-built in HTML and CSS, with layout refinements developed through iterative testing and UI debugging processes.
Navigation is achieved through a combination of hover-responsive tiles, scroll-activated transitions, and overlay-based popups. These interactive elements were chosen for their ability to scaffold spatial exploration without overwhelming the user interface. Full-screen transitions allow models and videos to occupy visual primacy, while embedded instructional cues guide users through multi-modal interactions. The design prioritizes mobile responsiveness and intuitive gesture-based engagement across devices.
Inspired by the concept of techno-vernacular creativity (Gaskins 2016), the site integrates culturally specific design choices that draw from African American spatial aesthetics and Black storytelling traditions. These methods reject generic museum-style interfaces in favor of symbolic, affective navigation systems. Buttons, fonts, and hover states reference Gullah craft traditions and quilt code symbology, transforming interface into interpretive scaffold.
Each 3D model on the site is accompanied by context-specific annotations. These were derived from field notes, oral history interviews, and on-site observations. They are designed not as exhaustive metadata entries but as interpretive prompts—highlighting culturally embedded narratives, spiritual associations, and lived experiences. The goal was to preserve ambiguity and allow room for personal reflection alongside factual information.
Supporting media—including ambient sound, drone video, and archival overlays—were embedded directly within the interface to provide temporal and spatial orientation. These additions situate each model within a broader multisensory narrative, enhancing both engagement and cultural specificity. Sites were selected for modeling based on architectural distinctiveness, communal memory relevance, and logistical feasibility during field documentation.
Technical execution included a combination of photogrammetry (via Scaniverse and Polycam) and LiDAR scanning (RTC360 and BLK360), with post-processing performed in Cyclone Register 360. Outputs were optimized and published using Sketchfab embeds and custom web overlays. Annotation tools were either native to the hosting platform or custom-developed in HTML/CSS to meet documentation goals.
This section of the website serves as an operational proof of concept for how immersive tools can be used not only to visualize cultural heritage, but to situate it within frameworks of participatory and vernacular knowledge production. Design choices were guided by methodological priorities including accessibility, cultural specificity, and community accountability. Each model, overlay, and annotation operates not as a passive artifact, but as a spatial gesture—structured to invite return, interpretation, and dialogue.