How can the traditions and cultural identity of Kalimantan remain alive amid rapid modernization? A research team from the Kalimantan Institute of Technology (ITK) seeks to address this challenge through a 2026 research project titled “Breaking the Boundaries of Preservation: Lamiang Nusantara and a New Direction for Digital Culture in Kalimantan Based on User-Centered Design.”

Led by Eko Agung Syaputra, S.Ds., M.Ds., alongside Ramadhan Paninggalih, S.Si., M.Si., M.Sc., and Hesti Rosita Dwi Putri, S.Pd., M.Ds., the research team developed a design guideline framework for an immersive, cloud-based digital cultural platform called Lamiang Nusantara. The research also involved Novianti Rossalina, S.Ds., from ITK’s Architecture and Design Laboratory.

The central idea behind this research is simple yet important: cultural preservation technologies must be designed around the needs of the people who use them. Digitization is not merely about creating visually appealing interfaces or adopting advanced technologies. Applications must also be easy for cultural heritage managers to operate and capable of conveying the stories behind each cultural asset in a meaningful way.

Through the User-Centered Design (UCD) approach, the research team combines interface design, systems engineering, and cultural spatial analysis to develop guidelines for a platform that responds to real-world conditions and needs.

One of the study’s findings highlights intangible cultural heritage, including oral traditions, customary rituals, and performing arts, as an important category across Kalimantan’s five provinces. Its proportion reaches 41.6 percent in Central Kalimantan, 39.5 percent in North Kalimantan, 38.3 percent in West Kalimantan, 37.8 percent in South Kalimantan, and 32.3 percent in East Kalimantan. These findings reinforce the need for digital media capable of presenting cultural narratives in a more interactive way.

Based on this analysis, the team identified four priority features: integrated content access, user profile personalization, a recommendation system, and three-dimensional object recognition to support Extended Reality (XR) experiences. The integration of Internet of Things (IoT)-based location sensors, a local marketplace, and digital ticketing also offers potential for supporting smart tourism development.

Lamiang Nusantara is designed with a modular architecture, allowing its features to be developed gradually according to each region’s digital readiness. This means cultural heritage managers do not have to adopt all the technologies at once.

Supported by ITK funding, the research collaborates with the Cultural Heritage Preservation Offices for Regions XII, XIII, and XIV. The next stages include interface design, interactive prototyping, and usability testing in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Through Lamiang Nusantara, the ITK research team promotes a preservation approach that goes beyond documenting the past. It also creates opportunities for present-day generations to discover, understand, and carry forward the rich cultural heritage of Kalimantan.