Smithsonian Mobile

Nancy Proctor proctorn@si.edu 29 September 2010

Why interpretation?

Interpretation is as essential to the Museum as cutlery is to a

banquet

Beth Lipman, Bancketje (Banquet) 20033

Beth Lipman, Bancketje (Banquet) 20034

Some visitors may bring their own, Some may eat only the finger food, Some may choose another restaurant, Many will go away hungry,

If the Museum doesn’t provide it:

feeling uninvited and unwelcome.

Tate Modern’sPrinciples of Interpretation

1. Interpretation is at the heart of the gallery’s mission.

2. Works of art do not have self-evident meanings.

3. Works of art have a capacity for multiple readings; interpretation should make visitors aware of the subjectivity of any interpretive text.

4. Interpretation embraces a willingness to experiment with new ideas.

5. We recognise the validity of diverse audience responses to works of art.

6. Interpretation should incorporate a wide spectrum of voices and opinions from inside and outside the institution.

7. Visitors are encouraged to link unfamiliar artworks with their everyday experience.

VelcroTeflon

http://www.slideshare.net/psamis/learning-in-museums-2008-intro-remarks

How does it support SI’s mission?

Smithsonian Institution

MISSION• The Increase and diffusion of knowledge

VISION• Shaping the future by preserving our heritage,

discovering new knowledge, and sharing our resources with the world

VALUES• Discovery, Creativity, Excellence, Diversity, and Service

Strategic Plan 2010:Reimagining the

Smithsonian FOUR GRAND CHALLENGES

1. Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe

2. Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet

3. Valuing World Cultures

4. Understanding the American Experience

THREE CROSS-CUTTING THEMES

5. Broadening Access

6. Revitalizing Education

7. Crossing Boundaries

Broadening Access

• New tools and technologies will exponentially broaden our access worldwide.

• The Nation’s growing diversity challenges us to reach new audiences ensure that the Smithsonian collections, exhibitions, and outreach programs speak to all Americans. We also must remain relevant to visitors who come from around the world. To accomplish this, we will leverage the power of technology using new media and social networking tools to deliver information in customized ways to bring our resources to those who cannot visit in person.

• Digitizing the collections and making accessible online are major Institutional priorities, as is exploring next-generation technologies that speak to “digital natives” who expect to be reached online. Finally, we will improve the visitor experience, for even in the digital age, physical access to the “real thing” has enduring value.

Why mobile?

In the Museum as Distributed Network…

12

…at least half of the Museum’s platforms are already mobile.

13

So if we want to meet our audiences where they are

And take them some place new…

Mobile is a great vehicle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8

15

Mission, Metrics & Mobile at SI

“For the increase & diffusion of knowledge”

Mission Metric How mobile can help

Increase of knowledge

Quality 1. Improve collections information and metadata

2. Improved visitor experience through timely interpretation and information

Diffusion of knowledge

Relevance 1. Integrate museum content into every day activities and contexts on personal devices & www access

2. Help understand audiences’ needs and interests better

“For the increase & diffusion of knowledge”

Mission Metric How mobile can help

(Forever…) Sustainability 1. Connect individuals and communities with the collections across platforms

2. Enable communities of interest to form around collections and activities

1. Mobile is global, and its reach is key to “the increase and diffusion of knowledge” in the 21st century

2. Mobile is opening up access to and dialogue with new audiences in:• Emerging global markets• Developing nations• Rural/remote communities• Spanning generations• Niche communities of interest and passion for SI’s

collections and research

3. Mobile gives us new tools for scholarship, research, outreach and staying relevant to our constituents

4. Mobile challenges us to ‘think differently’ about how we do business in a new learning & communications economy

How does mobile help SI?

Concerns

1. Cellphone use will disrupt the galleries and encourage people to talk on their phones.

2. Visitors will take pictures of the art with their phones.

3. Interpretation distracts visitors from actually looking at the work, making it a superficial experience.

4. Not everyone has a cellphone or smartphone.

Signage and guards reinforce gallery etiquette.

They already do, but signage and guards protect SI.

Depends entirely on content design.

True, so multiple interpretation platforms are necessary.

Mobile Research at SFMOMA

51%

53%

73%

79%

93%

2010 Mobile Tour evaluation…. (Top box %)

Made visit much more enjoyable…

Strongly recommend…

Very satisfied…

Very easy to use…

Q. Guide RatingsNote: Percentages represent the highest rating

Made artworks much more meaningful…

Mobile Improved Visitors’ Experience

FUSION RESEARCH + ANALYTICS

Those who chose the iPod and cell phone formats rated them more highly than

traditional headset tour users rated theirs.

(although the content was identical!)

TABLE 43RATINGS OF INTERPRETIVE OFFERINGS

RATING7-POINT RATING SCALE:DID NOT HELP ME APPRECIATE BARNEY’S ART (1) /HELPED ME APPRECIATE BARNEY’S ART (7) n MEAN ±

Cell phone audio tour 46 6.2 1.10Podcast audio tour 18 6.2 0.81Antenna audio guide headset tour 50 5.6 1.44Learning Lounge 95 5.5 1.45Exhibition brochure 131 5.2 1.53Exhibition Web site 31 5.2 1.37Drawing Restraint 9 film 40 5.1 1.92Exhibition introduction wall text 182 4.7 1.65

Randi Korn & Associates, SFMOMA, 2006

Phone logs enabled us

to see patterns in

where visitors wanted

information most:

(or perhaps where they or could find the labels!)

Randi Korn & Associates, SFMOMA, 2006

In fact, GuideBy Cell now mashes up area codes and Google Maps to reveal where visitors

are from:

I spent more time66%

No Impact33%

I spent less time1%

Q. How did the Mobile Tour impact the amount of time you spent in the museum today?

Multimedia Tours Impact on

Time Spent in the Galleries

FUSION RESEARCH + ANALYTICS study at SFMOMA Summer 2010

Feedback on Multimedia Tour

Kahlo exhibition at SFMOMA, 2008

Mean

Doing this type of activity in a zoo appeals to me. 6.1

This activity enhanced our conversation about the animals. 6.2

This is a good activity for a family. 6.4

I was able to pay attention to the information provided by the application while I was doing it.

6.6

*Scale: 7 = strongly agree through 1 = strongly disagree.

Source: Institute for Learning Innovation & the Jacksonville Zoo.

Jacksonville Zoo’s Research

The more interpretation used, the greater the visitor

satisfaction

Randi Korn & Associates, SFMOMA, 2006

SI Mobile Projects to Date

Mobile Art

Janet Cardiff, Words Drawn in Water, 2005

Over 20 Podcasts from across SI

Numerous cellphone tours

• NASM "Explore the Universe" • NPG “Faces of the Frontier” exhibition• NPG "Mask of Lincoln" exhibition• AAA exhibition• NMAI gardens• SAAM Luce Center audio tour• SAAM “William Wegman” exhibition

Mobile Websites

NMAI.SI.edu/mobile

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Fritz+Scholder+mobile+web+tour

NMAI Vantage Point

Cooper-Hewitt TriennialMobile Exhibition Website

Mobile.NASM.SI.edu

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/NASM+Mobile+Website

Chandra Xray Observatory

www.postalmuseum.si.edu/mobile/

GoSmithsonian.com (mobile)

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/GoSmithsonian+Mobile

Apps

Design USA at Cooper-Hewitt“Don’t even think about not using it because then

you won’t truly see the show.”

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Design+USA+iPod+Touch+tour

Roberta Smith, NY Times, 14 January 2010http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/arts/design/15design.html

MEanderthal

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/MEanderthal

Yves Klein at the Hirshhorn

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Design+USA+iPod+Touch+tour

Games & Mobile Learning

Smithsonian Connections

NASM “Got a Question?” Txt Test

• one week• 84 unique

users• 88 responses

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/NASMmobile_gotaquestion

ARGs: GOAC & PHEON

mLearning Workshops

Mobile Learning at the Hirshhorn

Plus, in development:• Cross-platform games: NMNH, Zoo & NMAH (in

addition to Ghosts of a Chance & PHEON at SAAM)

• Mobile giving initiatives being piloted at NASM

• Mobile sign language guides in development at SAAM (already online at http://americanart.si.edu/education/asl/)

Important research by Laboratory for Visual Learning, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics finds efficacy of iPads and eBook readers in helping learning disabled to read

Also in the Pipeline• NMNH Leaf-identifier app

• Mall visitors’ app

• NMAI exhibition tour app

• Mobile cross-collections search

• Zoo app

• Experiments in Augmented Reality

• Find out more at: http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Mobile

Elsewhere & over the years

Whitney

Jennifer Crowe & Scott Paterson, Follow Through, 2005

National Gallery, London

Tate Modern

Tate Trumps

Miroslaw Balka: How it is

MoMA

V&A

Tipu’s iTiger

Quilts 1700-2010

Stedelijk Museum

http://stedelijk.medialab.hva.nl/

Plus…

Hundreds of cellphone tours & podcasts

Dozens of multimedia tours & apps

Mobile websites becoming standard

Around the world

SI Mobile Strategic Planning

The Mobile Strategic Planning:First principles

1. The only certainty in the mobile landscape is change – so we need an adaptive, standards-based approach to our mobile strategy and solutions development

2. Because of the rapid rate of mobile technology obsolescence, we will build for mobile audiences, not specific platforms and gadgets

3. Because of our public mandate and responsibility, wherever possible SI Mobile will make its resources, best practices, and mobile products available for others to adapt and build upon

SI Mobile Strategic Planning:What we’ve done so far

1. The largest mobile audience research project to date in the cultural sector• Nearly 1,600 Mall visitors surveyed on mobile needs• In-depth interviews• Crowdsourcing input through Facebook and Twitter• Interim reports at:

http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Mobile+Research

2. Mobile Strategy informational conference with Forrester Research July 22

3. Mobile strategic planning workshops for SI staff July 22-23 & 30 September

4. Mobile fair and museum meet-up Aug 45. Collective findings on mobile objectives and proposed

offerings published at: http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Mobile

SI Mobile Strategic Planning:Top level findings

OUR AUDIENCES WANT SI MOBILE TO:

1. Be personal: available on the handheld devices they already know & are comfortable with

2. Be integrated: into their usual way of experiencing the world, and into other supports and platforms they already use in SI visits

3. Be social: help them connect with SI collections, the people who care for them and others who care about them

OUR STAFF WANT SI MOBILE TO PROVIDE:

4. Enhanced interpretation & information services5. Support for community building, dialog & outreach6. New tools for research & collaboration

SI Mobile Strategic Planning:On-site visitor needs findings

• 52% of Mall visitors have a phone that can access the Internet

• 30% have a phone that can run apps (higher than national average of 24%)

• Their main needs are:1. General planning information 2. A listing of what’s on 3. Info about what’s new

• A majority (62%) wanted to be able to access SI websites, blogs, podcasts, apps, etc. from their mobile devices

From OP&A executive summary, unpublished SI Mobile Study, Aug 2010

What will SI Mobile look like?

1. A Smithsonian Mobile Architecture and framework

2. Standards

3. Best practice documentation and training

4. Infrastructure

5. A Mobile Toolkit

Some of the tools…• Smithsonian Commons Mobile

• Collections search

• Image delivery

• Events calendars

• Maps and wayfinding

• “About…” content and functionality

• Visitor feedback capture

• Social media functions/communities of interest

• Mobile metrics and campaign functions

• Mobile advertising and promotions

• Location-based functions

• Augmented reality

How will we get there?1. Market research analysis on SI's audiences and mobile

best practice from the culture industry & beyond

2. A clear and supportive process for developing mobile projects and products

3. Mobile strategy with a roadmap and priorities, milestones and deliverables (what we want to do mapped onto what we can do, evolving over time)

4. A growing mobile development resource library, including best practices, training, standards, and tools

5. Recommendations on governance, infrastructure, standards, resources and practices required for growth

June-July 2010 & ongoing

Aug-Sep 2010 & ongoing

Aug-Sep 2010 & ongoing

From June 2010

Autumn/Winter 2010 – a living document

Timelines for Mobile Efforts