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Èvokâ (II)
Installation
Switzerland

EPFL+ECAL Lab
Canton & University Library of Fribourg
Swiss Data Science Center
Swiss National Library(SEE PROJECT TEAM AT THE END)
Èvokâ is an interactive installation that invites visitors to the Cantonal and University Library of Fribourg to enter into dialogue with the archives. Through an AI-based conversational interface, a presence living within the collections gathers memories connected to the canton and, in return, reveals fragments, stories and traces of Fribourg’s heritage.

#InteractionDesign #DesignResearch #LLM #AI #VisualSystem

The design research behind Èvokâ was conducted as part of my Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in the Postgraduate Programme in Design Research at EPFL+ECAL Lab.

How can interacting with archives help people recognise their connection to a region’s collective identity? 


I explored how digital archives could become more accessible and emotionally resonant, using places, stories, emotions and lived memories as entry points into a shared sense of belonging.

Images and details about Èvokâ’s design to be revealed after its inauguration in 12 September 2026 at the Cantonal & University Library of Fribourg. 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELONG TO A PLACE?

Using generative qualitative methodologies, I immersed myself in the world of Fribourg — its landscapes, history, traditions and personal stories. I conducted a series of in-depth interviews to understand how people relate to the canton, listening closely to their memories, experiences and perspectives. 


I visited the library to conduct on-site observations, documenting people’s movements, interactions, objects and visible emotions through drawing. By tracing how the space was used and experienced, I identified opportunities for how Èvokâ could exist within it as a space for participation, reflection and collective memory.





Some references were key to the design process, such as Community Memory, one of the earliest public computer bulletin board systems. Established in California in 1973, it allowed people to post and retrieve messages through a shared public terminal.  

Initially conceived as a resource-sharing network for local organisations, it quickly became an open communication space for information, art, commerce, storytelling and everyday conversation. Its community-led and unmediated approach informed my thinking about how digital archives can support participation, collective memory and a shared sense of place.

Credits:

EPFL+ECAL Lab

Nicolas Henchoz	Direction
Sofia Lelis	Research Assistant, InteractionDesign
Lara Défayes	Project Management & Art Direction
Delphine Ribes	Engineering & Technology Manager
Gabriel Luthier	Software Engineering
Andrea Rovescalli	Software Engineering
Lison Christe	Product Design
Sebastian Baez Lugo	UX Research, UX Psychology

University of Fribourg (UNIFR)

Sharon Guardini	UX Research assistant
Alexandra Pereira Santos	UX Research assistant

Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC)

Clément Lefebvre	Senior Data Scientist
Raphaël Matusiak	Senior Data Scientist
Chiara Preti	Senior Data Scientist
Johan Berdat	Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Alessandro Nesti	Principal Data Scientist

Cantonal and University Library of Fribourg (BCUFR)

Angélique Boschung	Direction
Silvia Zehnder-Jörg	Project management
Athéna Schuwey	Communication
Davide Nerini	Curation, Iconography
Yves Cirio	Curation, film and sound
Caroline Arbellay	Curation, written archives
Loraine Molliet	Data Curation
Andreas Christe	Data Curation

Swiss National Library (BN)

Elena Balzardi	Vice-direction
Isabelle Aeschbach	Chef Public Section
Günther Giovannoni	Direction Fonoteca

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