design for participationa museum workshop nina simon, museum 2.0

nina@museumtwo.com@ninaksimon on twitter

presented with gratitude to the University of Washington graduate museology program

there are lots of ways people participate in museums...

Exploratorium Denver Art Museum International Spy Museum

today, we’re going to focus on social participation

and the social technology that supports it

Chicago History MuseumOntario Science Centre SFMOMA

what is social technology?

tools that enable people to create, share, and connect with each other

youtube overplot postsecret

Web Museums

Push Content yes yes

Multimedia yes yes

Interactive yes yes

Socially Networked

yes not yet...

the web is analogous to the museum

why look at the social web as a design model?

1. Because it’s a rapidly iterated content distributor

librarything

2. Because it’s a community “third place”

1. Because it’s a rapidly iterated content distributor

why look at the social web as a design model?

ravelry

“social networks consist of people who are connected by a shared object”

- Jyri Engeström, 2005

2. Because it’s a community “third place”

1. Because it’s a rapidly iterated content distributor

3. Because it’s organized around objects

why look at the social web as a design model?

flickr

2. Because it’s a community “third place”

1. Because it’s a rapidly iterated content distributor

3. Because it’s organized around objects

why look at the social web as a design model?

4. Because it’s engaging a large and diverse audience

what makes YouTube different?

old relationship new relationships

Authority is content provider Authority is platform provider

think relationships, not technology.

so how do we design comparable museum experiences?

personalize the experience

network aggregated actions of individuals

promote social object experiences

create platforms, not exhibits & programs

participation begins with “me”

not all participants are creators

\

facebook

deliver a personally relevant content stream

ilikemuseums.com

invite people in for their own reasons

offer legitimate, meaningful activities

http://online.ushmm.org/lodzchildren

offer tools for self-identification & interaction

design low-barrier entry points to creativity

Denver Art MuseumDenver Art Museum

networking individuals into an architecture of participation

“me-to-we” at work

librarything

take polling to the next level

Anne Frank House

find elegant ways to network existing transactions

Haarlem Oost branch library

reconsider floor programming and training

Ontario Science Centre

find ways to let users support each other

The Tech Virtual

activating exhibits as social objects

support personal, inviting, intriguing objects

London Science MuseumUW rockstar

create social infrastructure for interaction

lab.signtific.org

find new ways to evaluate success

Science Museum of Minnesota

designing platforms, not exhibits

define the participatory powers clearly

Minnesota History Center

give away the fun parts, keep the hard parts

The Tech Virtual

use an infrastructure that reflects your values

create multiple inroads for different kinds of participants

Smithsonian American Art Museum

use storytelling devices that invite everyone to contribute

World Without Oil

and now... a break.and a question.

what current program, exhibit, or project is a natural starting point for exploring participatory potential?

let’s do it!

personalize the experience?

network aggregated actions of individuals?

promote social object experiences?

design exhibits/programs as platforms?

how can you...