Quest for the golden apples of the Hesperides - Hypermedia design for an archaeological exhibition

The Euesperides project focuses on the hypermedia presentation of the history and archaeology of the ancient Greek colony of Euesperides in North Africa. The application is based on a part of the Classical collection of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and will be used for public information and the interpretation of finds during a temporary exhibition opening at the Museum of Oxford in autumn 1995. The Euesperides prototype, like all hypermedia programs, was not developed in vacuum, but was influenced by a wide spectrum of factors, such as the original archaeological information upon which the content of the program was based, as well as the institutions related to the project affected directly or indirectly its design and production. This background information is outlined in the first part of the paper, which is followed by a description of the program's structure and the main design issues involved in its production.