everyone’s smithsonian the multi-platform museum

nina simon, museum 2.0nina@museumtwo.com

@ninaksimon on twitter

the plan

defining social platforms

enabling the human connection

evaluating the institutional role

putting it together in action

we all live in a multi-platform world

exhibits

emailradio

newspaper

television

blogs

events &festivals

social networks

photo-sharing

museum socialexternal

programs

website

online media

cellphones

word of mouth

and the smithsonian is heavily multi-platform

magazineaffiliates

tours

TV channel

radio station

folklife festival

museums

zoo

research facilities

associatestraveling exhibits

libraries

giant X-ray telescopes

conservation labs

programs

you’ve done a good job reaching out tonon-traditional (but formal) platforms

but what about the informal social platforms?

TRADITIONAL FUTURE

Authority is content provider Authority is platform provider

visitors and users powerfully extend the reach and valueof museum content when given the opportunity

(increase and diffuse)

visitors

what are you about?

what do they need?

what will these relationships look like?

Smithsonian

i’ve been spying on your visitors

they are coming to mecca

they are overwhelmed by the options

they are marathon mall troopers

they think your job is cool

they like to transgress

they associate the smithsonian with value

so what do they need?

audience-specific online navigation

pittsburghkids.org

ilikemuseums.com

personalized entry points for trip planning

modular content for deep exploration

dialogue about value

Minnesota History Center Museum

behind-the-scenes content

connection to their other platforms

Mattress Factory

connection to their other platforms

connection to their other platforms

Chicago Children’s Museum

connection to their other platforms

connection to their other platforms

connection to their other platforms

“I relish the thought of a core constituency of community art-makers, curators and researchers who form a sustainer group for the museum and creative counterpoint to the 'friends' and financial sustainers, but I know many art museum workers would recoil in horror at the idea of being inundated by 'Sunday painters'”

-Nancy Proctor, SAAM

a human connection

validation and recognition

responsiveness

enough about them,let’s talk about you

what relationship do you want to have with visitors?

you need an actionable mission that helps you prioritize

and it may take more than four words...

in whom?

We inspire curiosity, discovery, and learning

about nature and culture

through outstanding research, collections, exhibitions, and education.

National Museum of Natural History Mission Statement

what unsolved secrets can I explore?

what’s special about these three outcomes?

what does this exclude?

how do these programs connect to desired outcomes?

are these four the only ways? prioritized ways? where might web and gaming fit in?

what mysteries can I uncover?

example: research platform for discovery + learning

“what we found most engaging about this project was the possibility of discovering the undiscovered.”

“the more we learned of individual victims, the more capable we were of understanding the magnitude of the Holocaust.”

example: collections platform for curiosity about nature

example: program platform for curiosity about culture

a simple plan

1 / define and prioritize audiences

1 / define and prioritize audiences2 / listen to what they need

1 / define and prioritize audiences2 / listen to what they need3 / connect it to something on-mission that you can provide

1 / define and prioritize audiences2 / listen to what they need3 / connect it to something on-mission that you can provide4 / jump in

Denver Art MuseumExploratorium

nina simon, museum 2.0nina@museumtwo.com@ninaksimon on twitter

1 / define and prioritize audiences2 / listen to what they need3 / connect it to something on-mission that you can provide4 / jump in