design for participation
a 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
Ontario Science Centre Chicago History Museum SFMOMA
and the social technology that supports it

what is social technology?
tools that enable people to create,
share, and connect with each other
youtube overplot postsecret

the web is analogous to the museum
Web Museums
Push Content yes yes
Multimedia yes yes
Interactive yes yes
Socially
yes not yet...
Networked

why look at the social web as a design model?
1. Because it’s a rapidly iterated content distributor
librarything

why look at the social web as a design model?
1. Because it’s a rapidly iterated content distributor
2. Because it’s a community “third place”
ravelry

why look at the social web as a design model?
1. Because it’s a rapidly iterated content distributor
2. Because it’s a community “third place”
3. Because it’s organized around objects
“social networks consist
of people who are
connected by a shared
object”
- Jyri Engeström, 2005
flickr

why look at the social web as a design model?
1. Because it’s a rapidly iterated content distributor
2. Because it’s a community “third place”
3. Because it’s organized around objects
4. Because it’s engaging a large and diverse audience

what makes YouTube different?

think relationships, not technology.
old relationship new relationships
Authority is content provider Authority is platform provider

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
\\

deliver a personally relevant content stream
facebook

invite people in for their own reasons
ilikemuseums.com

offer legitimate, meaningful activities
http://online.ushmm.org/lodzchildren

offer tools for self-identification & interaction

design low-barrier entry points to creativity
Denver Art Museum Denver 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 Museum
UW 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!
how can you...
personalize the experience?
network aggregated actions of individuals?
promote social object experiences?
design exhibits/programs as platforms?