5. the project
The project
‣
Development of collection engagement strategy and
operational plan
‣
‣
‣
Keepthinking (project lead)
Morris Hargreaves McIntrye (audience research)
The Ashmolean Museum (content and strategy)
6. the project
Background
‣
‣
‣
‣
The world’s first public museum (1683)
Major redevelopment in 2009
‣
‣
Now shift focus to digital transformation
Expand Crossing Cultures, Crossing Time digitally
Audience numbers quadrupled since re-opening
Redisplaying objects - Crossing Cultures, Crossing Time
10. the project
Objectives & outcomes
‣
‣
‣
Who are the museum’s audiences?
What do they want?
How do we deliver it?
11. the project
approach & process
Project inception
Client workshop
Review evidence
Define audiences
KT, IH, MHM
MHM, IH
MHM, KT, IH
MHM, IH, KT
Core team
Key stakeholders/wider staff
Core team
Core team
Project initiation
Prototyping Stage 2
Research shopping list
Interim reporting
List of best practices
Concept Testing
Stage 1
Interim audience
evaluation report
Prototyping Stage 1
KT
MHM, KT, IH
MHM
KT, MHM
Core team
Core team / stakeholders
Core team
Core team
Questionnaires and non
interactive wireframes
Concept Testing
Stage 2
Questionnaires
Recommendations for
stage 2
Analysis and
reporting
Operational plan
MHM
MHM, KT, IH
IH, KT
Core team
Core team / stakeholders
Core team / stakeholders
Full audience evaluation
reports and wireframes
Full operational plan
16. concept development
Developing ideas
‣
Looked at what each user mode might need to engage
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
learn
search
be surprised
create inspiration
stimulation
compare/contrast
download
plan visits
curate
...
17. concept development
Stages of discovery
‣
4 stages of discovery
‣
‣
‣
‣
get to the object
at the object
interaction with the object
in-gallery/mobile interaction
22. user evaluation
User evaluation results
‣
‣
‣
‣
Most visitors not actively looking for online collections
Expectations based on experiences in other (non museum) online
contexts
Expectations will change as technology develops
Opportunity to tap brain power (online volunteering and
crowdsourcing)
25. Stage 1
Get to the object
Make the objects seen
‣
‣
‣
Coming across the objects
Intentional / unintentional discovery
Across the website / in specific section
27. user evaluation
Stage 1
Get to the object:
Browsers
Essential functionalities
‣
Themed highlights
‣
Browse by collection area / department
‣
Interactive floor plans
‣
Timelines(s)
‣
Map(s)
‣
What is new in the collection
Functionalities not required
‣
Virtual (3D) Galleries
28. user evaluation
Stage 1
Get to the object:
Browsers
Themed highlights
‣
See between 30 and 50 objects
‣
Have a selection, but not just any selection
‣
Why are highlights... highlighted?
‣
Have several groups of highlights
‣
Crossing Cultures, Crossing Time
29. user evaluation
Stage 1
Get to the object:
Browsers
Browse by collection, area or department
‣
Audiences are familiar with the collection
‣
Promote the overall museum theme online
30. user evaluation
Stage 1
Get to the object:
Browsers
Interactive floor plans
‣
Relate the experience on site / online
‣
Before and after visit
31. user evaluation
Stage 1
Get to the object:
Browsers
Timeline(s)
‣
Help visitors contextualise objects
‣
Object cross relationships
‣
Relationships to other events
‣
Scored very highly across all audience segments
32. user evaluation
Stage 1
Get to the object:
Browsers
Map(s)
‣
Another contextualising opportunity
‣
Could be combined with timelines.
33. user evaluation
Stage 1
Get to the object:
Browsers
What is new in the collection?
‣
What is new and relevant in the collection
‣
New object on display
‣
Event featuring collection objects
34. user evaluation
Stage 1
Get to the object:
Followers
Essential functionalities
‣
Learn activities
‣
Selections by named people
‣
Themes that connect objects differently from the gallery
‣
You might also like
Secondary functionalities
‣
Seek connections between objects
Functionalities not required
-
Exhibitions replicated online
-
Collections trails
35. user evaluation
Stage 1
Get to the object:
Searchers and
Researchers
Essential functionalities
‣
Search using keywords
‣
Advanced search
‣
Search whole collection
‣
Search for items on display only
‣
Multiple sorting options
Secondary functionalities
‣
Search using tags
‣
Sense of how many others like this
36. user evaluation
Stage 2
At the object
People have reached the object: what’s next?
‣
What can visitors do with the objects?
‣
Where can they go from there?
37. user evaluation
Stage 2
At the object
Essential functionalities
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
What is it?
Location of object in the gallery
Experts' views
Catalogue record information
Large images, zoom, multimedia
Other relevant content
Related objects (how related?)
Unexpected stories & relationships
Behind the scenes content (e.g. conservation live)
Secondary functionalities
‣
‣
Related objects in other collections
See quality of record
Functionalities not required
-
Spin/rotate objects (3D view)
38. user evaluation
Stage 3
Interacting
Ashmolean audiences want to be involved
‣
Surprising outcomes
‣ Audiences know about your museum and its collection
‣
‣
They would love to be able to interact and contribute
Shame to miss their contribution
39. user evaluation
Stage 3
Interacting
Essential functionalities
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
Share objects using social media
Download images
Contribute own content (e.g. research papers)
Contribute to crowdsourcing project
Sponsor an object (donation with a purpose)
Secondary functionalities
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
Public user profiles (log in)
Star, add to favourites (log in)
Tag objects
Vote for objects to be highlighted or represented in the gallery
Vote for objects they haven't seen in galleries and online
Submit questions for curator to answer online
Functionalities not required
-
Create educational activities
Play games, compare contrast, ordering, odd one out
Quizzes: identifying, seeking connections between objects
40. user evaluation
Stage 4
Mobile and in-gallery
interactives
Make the content more accessible
‣
Even more surprising outcomes
‣
‣
No to using (own) mobile phone at the museum
Yes to multimedia and interactive applications
41. user evaluation
Stage 4
Mobile and in-gallery
interactives
Essential functionalities
‣
Collect objects for later use
Secondary functionalities
‣
Track their visit at the Museum
Functionalities not required
‣
Use mobile at the Museum
42. operational plan
Developing the operational plan
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
Build on insight from the user testing
Consult with museum staff
Technical / organisation / staffing challenges
Improve staff digital skills
Manage and monitor
Budget and time plan
43. operational plan
Developing the operational plan
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
What is an overall digital strategy?
How does the collection engagement fit in?
Technological challenges
Documentation challenges
Curatorial challenges
Staffing and management challenges
Sustainability
46. operational plan
Developing the operational plan
‣
5-year plan
‣
‣
‣
Digital culture at the core of museum activities
‣ Integrated, museum-wide programme of change
‣
‣
Strategic goals: content, technology, resources
Long-term changes
Divided into manageable projects
Plan as a delivery framework
‣
...with priorities
47. operational plan
Content
‣
Content creation
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
objects / archives
digitisation (photography / scanning / audio / video)
Shared content creation guidelines
interpretation / narrative / curation
Guidelines
Strategy for collaboration
Sharing
‣
‣
Sort out digital access rights
Objectives
‣
‣
High level topics and narrative...
... not departmental agendas!
51. operational plan
Technology
‣
Technology selection based on agreed principles
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
Focussed on management and delivery
Separate content and delivery
Short planning cycles / agile
Regular releases
Build in prototyping/experimentation
Think mobile/tabled firs
54. operational plan
Resources
‣
Staff and skills
‣
‣
‣
‣
Develop staff digital expertise
Fund more digital roles
Digital as core and not add-on
Funding
‣
‣
‣
Funding sources
Project specific vs. longer term
Content and technical partnerships
55. operational plan
Strategic goals
‣
Content
‣
‣
‣
Technology
‣
‣
‣
Deliver compelling experiences to different visitors
Ongoing digitisation programme
Museum-wide platform
Manage, publish and distribute content
Resources
‣ Secure funding
‣
‣
Build team (internal/external)
Find external technology and content partners
56. operational plan
5-year plan
‣
Five year period
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
‣
Year 0: Planning, preparation and funding
Year 1: Design and user experience / develop
Year 2: Release and sustain
Year 3: User test and new features
Year 4: User test and new features
Year 5: User test and new features
Overall approach is stepwise and accumulative
Regular, tangible outcomes for content, technology and resources
59. Thank You.
http://www.keepthinking.it
Keepthinking London
Keepthinking New York
Keepthinking Hong Kong
43 Clerkenwell Road
London EC1M 5RS
244 Fifth Ave
New York NY 10001
78 Bonham Strand
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
+44 20 74905337
+1 212 372 7351
+852 9014 5721
info@keepthinking.it
newyork@keepthinking.it
hongkong@keepthinking.it