everyone’s smithsonian
the multi-platform museum
nina simon, museum 2.0
nina@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
external museum social
events &
exhibits word of mouth
festivals
programs cellphones
radio
email
television website
photo-sharing
newspaper
blogs
online media
social networks

and the smithsonian is heavily multi-platform
research facilities
folklife festival traveling exhibits
magazine associates
affiliates museums
tours radio station
programs giant X-ray telescopes
TV channel conservation labs zoo
libraries

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

but what about the
informal social platforms?

TRADITIONAL FUTURE
Authority is content provider Authority is platform provider
(increase and diffuse)
visitors and users powerfully extend the reach and value
of museum content when given the opportunity

what are
you about?
Smithsonian
what will these
relationships
look like?
what do
they need?
visitors

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

personalized entry points for trip planning
ilikemuseums.com

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...

National Museum of Natural History Mission Statement
?
xplore
c an I e
crets
s olv ed se c an I uncove
r?
wh at un what mysteries
We inspire curiosity, discovery, and
learning what’s special about these three outcomes?
in whom? what does
this exclud
about nature and culture e?
through how do these pr ograms connect to desired ou
tcomes?
outstanding research, collections,
exhibitions, and education.
are these four the only ways? prioritized ways?
where might web and gaming fit in?

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 audiences
2 / listen to what they need

1 / define and prioritize audiences
2 / listen to what they need
3 / connect it to something on-mission that
you can provide

1 / define and prioritize audiences
2 / listen to what they need
3 / connect it to something on-mission that
you can provide
4 / jump in
Exploratorium Denver Art Museum

1 / define and prioritize audiences
2 / listen to what they need
3 / connect it to something on-mission that
you can provide
4 / jump in
nina simon, museum 2.0
nina@museumtwo.com
@ninaksimon on twitter