science museums
and social technology
nina simon, museum 2.0

the outline
what is social technology
why I care (and I think you should too)
how to incorporate it into the museum

but first:
why i’m here
To share my expertise applying social technology design patterns to
museum practice
By discussing examples and frameworks for strategic thinking
So That the new science center can be the guest directed,
technology-enhanced, Delta museum of your dreams

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

the Web isn’t necessary,
but it makes some things easier
easier to publish easier to distribute

the Web isn’t necessary,
but it makes some things easier
easier to access easier to track

the Web isn’t necessary,
but it makes some things easier
zine blog
radio show podcast
group project wiki
word of mouth ratings-enabled site
address book social network

and as things get easier,
users can depend on each other
old relationship new relationships
Authority is content provider Authority is platform provider

me-to-we design

why should museums care?
because it’s already happening
because we can use it to
connect with guests in new ways
because it can help us do our
jobs better

because we think it’s a fad that
doesn’t affect museums
because we’re afraid to lose our
content authority
because technology investments
can be expensive and risky

it’s not a niche fad
in Canada, 66% of people use the internet every
or every other day. And of those active users...
57% read blogs (of which 64% are personal, 23% are about
travel/recreation, 13% are about science*)
23% have started a blog
36% think more positively about companies with blogs*
59% belong to a social network
43% share photos
27% upload videos
78% watch video clips
29% listen to podcasts
18% use RSS
source: social media tracker wave. 3
* entries reflect worldwide statistics

it does affect museums
on the marketing side,
someone else is defining your brand online

it does affect museums
on the guest experience side, there are new
expectations for personalized, on-demand content

it’s going to drive the new science centre
“Each learning space can have a specific
change strategy assigned to it, and be
designed as an “Experience Platform”
that includes built-in systems and
infrastructure to facilitate the changing
of content according to that strategy.”

so how can you do it?
be an authority
be a participant
(or do both)

first, listen
find out where you are...

first, listen
find out where you are... and where your guests are

and decide what kind of relationship you want

what would this look like?
MUSEUM

online and onsite social network
museum as dynamic feed of real-time content

alternate reality games
museum as locus for shared narrative

citizen science
museum as aggregator of guest data contributions

personalized maps and “trails”
museum as customizable mix tape

innovative social programming
museum as a safe space for difficult conversations

guests as exhibit designers
museum as facilitator of community co-design

museum without walls
museum giving away content for remix

three recommendations
1. engage all kinds of participants

three recommendations
1. engage all kinds of participants
2. start small with something that excites you

three recommendations
1. engage all kinds of participants
2. start small with something that excites you
3. be clever about ways to get away from the web