Why SI Mobile?

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) 2003 
3

If the Museum doesn’t provide it:
Some visitors may bring their own,
Some may eat only the finger food,
Some may choose another restaurant,
Many will go away hungry,
feeling uninvited and unwelcome.
Beth Lipman, Bancketje (Banquet) 2003 
4

Tate Modern’sPrinciples of Interpretation
Interpretation is at the heart of the gallery’s mission.
Works of art do not have self-evident meanings.
Works of art have a capacity for multiple readings; interpretation should make visitors aware of the subjectivity of any interpretive text.
Interpretation embraces a willingness to experiment with new ideas.
We recognise the validity of diverse audience responses to works of art.
Interpretation should incorporate a wide spectrum of voices and opinions from inside and outside the institution.
Visitors are encouraged to link unfamiliar artworks with their everyday experience.

Velcro
Teflon
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
Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe
Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet
Valuing World Cultures
Understanding the American Experience
THREE CROSS-CUTTING THEMES
Broadening Access
Revitalizing Education
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”

How does mobile help SI?
Mobile is global, and its reach is key to “the increase and diffusion of knowledge” in the 21st century
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
Mobile gives us new tools for scholarship, research, outreach and staying relevant to our constituents
Mobile challenges us to ‘think differently’ about how we do business in a new learning & communications economy

Concerns
Cellphone use will disrupt the galleries and encourage people to talk on their phones.
Visitors will take pictures of the art with their phones.
Interpretation distracts visitors from actually looking at the work, making it a superficial experience.
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

Mobile Improved Visitors’ Experience
2010 Mobile Tour evaluation…. (Top box %)
Very easy to use…
Very satisfied…
Strongly recommend…
Made visit much more enjoyable…
Made artworks much more meaningful…
Q. Guide Ratings
Note: Percentages represent the highest rating
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!)
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!)

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

Multimedia Tours Impact on
Time Spent in the Galleries
Q. How did the Mobile Tour impact the amount of time you spent in the museum today?
FUSION RESEARCH + ANALYTICS study at SFMOMA Summer 2010

Feedback on Multimedia Tour
Kahlo exhibition at SFMOMA, 2008

JacksonvilleZoo’s Research
*Scale: 7 = strongly agree through 1 = strongly disagree.
Source: Institute for Learning Innovation & the Jacksonville Zoo.

The more interpretation used, the greater the visitor satisfaction

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

Design USA at Cooper-Hewitt
“Don’t even think about not using it because then you won’t truly see the show.”
Roberta Smith, NY Times, 14 January 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/arts/design/15design.html
http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Design+USA+iPod+Touch+tour

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
MiroslawBalka: How it is
Tate Trumps

V&A
Quilts 1700-2010
Tipu’siTiger

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
The only certainty in the mobile landscape is change – so we need an adaptive, standards-based approach to our mobile strategy and solutions development
Because of the rapid rate of mobile technology obsolescence, we will build for mobile audiences, not specific platforms and gadgets
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
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
Mobile Strategy informational conference with Forrester Research July 22
Mobile strategic planning workshops for SI staff July 22-23 & 30 September
Mobile fair and museum meet-up Aug 4
Collective findings on mobile objectives and proposed offerings published at: http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Mobile

Top level findings
OUR AUDIENCES WANT SI MOBILE TO:
Be personal: available on the handheld devices they already know & are comfortable with
Be integrated: into their usual way of experiencing the world, and into other supports and platforms they already use in SI visits
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:
Enhanced interpretation & information services
Support for community building, dialog & outreach
New tools for research & collaboration

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:
General planning information
A listing of what’s on
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?
A Smithsonian Mobile Architecture and framework
Standards
Best practice documentation and training
Infrastructure
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?
Market research analysis on SI's audiences and mobile best practice from the culture industry & beyond
A clear and supportive process for developing mobile projects and products
Mobile strategy with a roadmap and priorities, milestones and deliverables (what we want to do mapped onto what we can do, evolving over time)
A growing mobile development resource library, including best practices, training, standards, and tools
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

Why SI Mobile?

by nancyproctor on Oct 03, 2010

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Why SI Mobile? — Presentation Transcript