Who Killed Helene Pumpulivaara? Exploring Narrative Design and Extended Reality in Industrial Heritage Interpretation

This paper presents a Research Through Design investigation exploring innovative approaches to industrial heritage interpretation through extended reality (XR) technologies and narrative design. Using the historic Finlayson Factory in Tampere, Finland as a case study, we developed "Who Killed Helene Pumpulivaara?"- an interactive heritage experience that combines crime mystery narrative with XR technology to address key challenges in digital heritage interpretation, particularly decontextualization and accessibility. Our methodology used emerging AI tools and accessible technologies to create a multi-platform experience implemented across web and VR environments. The research revealed several significant findings: first, the varying fidelity levels between AI-generated and authentic content created an unexpected advantage in distinguishing historical fact from creative interpretation; second, combining accessible technologies with AI-assisted content generation can democratize the creation of engaging digital heritage experiences; and third, spatial relationships and narrative progression can effectively counter decontextualization concerns in digital heritage. The implementation points toward spatial augmented reality as a promising direction for future heritage interpretation, suggesting possibilities for deeper integration with physical spaces through interactive projections. This research contributes to ongoing discussions about democratizing heritage interpretation and demonstrates how thoughtful integration of emerging technologies can enhance rather than diminish authentic heritage experiences, while making industrial history more engaging for contemporary audiences.