MCN2013 - Ashmolean collections engagement

Ashmolean MuseumDeveloping a Sustainable Digital Audience Engagement Programme

Cristiano BianchiAdrian Cooper

Keepthinking

Collections Engagement Project

‣ project background‣ key objectives‣ approach

‣ audience segmentation‣ concept development‣ user evaluation results

‣ developing the operational plan

Agenda

combines strategy, consulting, software development and digital design in a single agency.

who we are

who we are

The project

‣ Development of collection engagement strategy and operational plan

‣ Keepthinking (project lead)‣ Morris Hargreaves McIntrye (audience research)‣ The Ashmolean Museum (content and strategy)

the project

Background

‣ The world’s first public museum (1683)‣ Major redevelopment in 2009‣ Audience numbers quadrupled since re-opening‣ Redisplaying objects - Crossing Cultures, Crossing Time

‣ Now shift focus to digital transformation‣ Expand Crossing Cultures, Crossing Time digitally

the project

Project rationale

‣ Over 1,000,000 objects‣ 30% digitised‣ 5% online‣ No common standards for content or technology ‣ Audience demanded more online material

the project

the project

Collections online

34 separate interfacesno common platform

Project rationale

‣ Meet audience needs‣ Combine funding, staffing and other resources to deliver‣ Success dependent on firm foundations

the project

Objectives & outcomes

‣ Who are the museum’s audiences?‣ What do they want?‣ How do we deliver it?

the project

Project inception

Core teamKT, IH, MHM

Project initiation

Client workshop

Key stakeholders/wider staffMHM, IH

Research shopping list

Review evidence

Core teamMHM, KT, IH

List of best practices

Define audiences

Core teamMHM, IH, KT

Prototyping Stage 1

Core teamKT, MHM

Questionnaires

Concept TestingStage 1

Core teamMHM

Interim reporting

Core team / stakeholdersMHM, KT, IH

Recommendations for stage 2

Prototyping Stage 2

Core teamKT

Questionnaires and non interactive wireframes

Concept TestingStage 2

Core teamMHM

Analysis and reporting

Core team / stakeholdersMHM, KT, IH

Full audience evaluation reports and wireframes

Operational plan

Core team / stakeholdersIH, KT

Full operational plan

Interim audience evaluation report

the project approach & process

Audience segmentation

‣ Best practice research‣ User modes and persona‣ Meeting the needs and engage specific users‣ Compare to a physical museum visit

audience segmentation

Audience segmentation by type

‣ 9 audience groups

‣ families‣ general visitors‣ core audience‣ teens‣ undergraduates‣ hobbyists‣ academic researchers‣ primary school teachers‣ secondary school teachers



Audience segmentation by behaviour

Concept development

‣ Analysed current best practice‣ Developed ideas‣ Concept testing‣ Prototype testing

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‣ ...

concept development

Stages of discovery

‣ 4 stages of discovery‣ get to the object‣ at the object‣ interaction with the object‣ in-gallery/mobile interaction

concept development

concept development prototypes




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)

user evaluation

Content/Context

user evaluation

Reaction graph

user evaluation

reaction graphWho needs what?

Make the objects seen

‣ Coming across the objects‣ Intentional / unintentional discovery‣ Across the website / in specific section

Stage 1Get to the object

user evaluation

Stage 1Get 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

user evaluation

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


user evaluation

Browse by collection, area or department

‣ Audiences are familiar with the collection

‣ Promote the overall museum theme online


user evaluation

Interactive floor plans

‣ Relate the experience on site / online

‣ Before and after visit


user evaluation

Timeline(s)

‣ Help visitors contextualise objects

‣ Object cross relationships

‣ Relationships to other events

‣ Scored very highly across all audience segments


user evaluation

Map(s)

‣ Another contextualising opportunity

‣ Could be combined with timelines.


user evaluation

What is new in the collection?

‣ What is new and relevant in the collection

‣ New object on display

‣ Event featuring collection objects


user evaluation


‣ Learn activities

‣ Selections by named people

‣ Themes that connect objects differently from the gallery

‣ You might also like

Secondary functionalities

‣ Seek connections between objects


- Exhibitions replicated online

- Collections trails

Stage 1Get to the object:Followers

user evaluation

Stage 1Get to the object:Searchers and Researchers


‣ Search using keywords

‣ Advanced search

‣ Search whole collection

‣ Search for items on display only

‣ Multiple sorting options


‣ Search using tags

‣ Sense of how many others like this

user evaluation

People have reached the object: what’s next?

‣ What can visitors do with the objects?

‣ Where can they go from there?

Stage 2At the object

user evaluation

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)

Stage 2At the object

user evaluation

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

Stage 3Interacting

user evaluation

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

Stage 3Interacting

user evaluation

Make the content more accessible

‣ Even more surprising outcomes‣ No to using (own) mobile phone at the museum‣ Yes to multimedia and interactive applications

Stage 4Mobile and in-gallery interactives

user evaluation


‣ Collect objects for later use


‣ Track their visit at the Museum


‣ Use mobile at the Museum

user evaluation

Stage 4Mobile and in-gallery interactives

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

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

operational plan

operational plan

STRATEGY

5 YEAR PLAN

PROJECT A PROJECT B PROJECT C

Positioning engagement

operational plan

CONTENT(digitisation / interpretation / context)

TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE(access / innovate)

RESOURCES(people / skills / funding / partnerships)

Supporting strategic aims


‣ 5-year plan‣ Strategic goals: content, technology, resources‣ Long-term changes

‣ Digital culture at the core of museum activities‣ Integrated, museum-wide programme of change‣ Divided into manageable projects

‣ Plan as a delivery framework‣ ...with priorities

operational plan

Content

‣ Content creation‣ objects / archives‣ digitisation (photography / scanning / audio / video)‣ interpretation / narrative / curation

‣ Guidelines‣ Shared content creation guidelines‣ Strategy for collaboration

‣ Sharing‣ Sort out digital access rights

‣ Objectives‣ High level topics and narrative...‣ ... not departmental agendas!

operational plan

Content

operational plan

HIGHLIGHTS

FULL CATALOGUE

Content

operational plan

HIGHLIGHTS

OBJECT RECORDS

HIGHLIGHTS

FULL CATALOGUE

TOPICS

Content

operational plan

OBJECT RECORDSHIGHLIGHTS

TOPICS

TOPICS

TOPICS

context

number of objects

Browsing

Following

Searching

Researching

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

operational plan

Technology

operational plan

e-commerceweb content managementcollections management

API

linked Data,shared content

Digital AssetManagement

System

websiteappse-publicationsin-gallery

applications/interactives

socialmedia

platformschannels / services

data access

content management

asset managementrights management

Technology

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

operational plan

Strategic goals

‣ Content‣ Deliver compelling experiences to different visitors‣ Ongoing digitisation programme

‣ Technology‣ Museum-wide platform‣ Manage, publish and distribute content

‣ Resources‣ Secure funding‣ Build team (internal/external)‣ Find external technology and content partners

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

operational plan

operational plan

5-year plan

operational plan

Project management

Keepthinking London

43 Clerkenwell RoadLondon EC1M 5RS

+44 20 74905337

[email protected]

Keepthinking New York

244 Fifth AveNew York NY 10001

+1 212 372 7351

[email protected]

Keepthinking Hong Kong

78 Bonham StrandSheung Wan, Hong Kong

+852 9014 5721

[email protected]

http://www.keepthinking.it

Thank You.





MCN2013 - Ashmolean collections engagement

Education

user evaluationstage

user evaluationwho

technology audience

object interaction

audience segments

collectionnew object

user evaluationuser

concept developmentprototypes