Through a two year change process—spurred via the development of a free online storytelling platform called “Digital Stories” in the fall of 2016—The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), comprised of the de Young and Legion of Honor museums, took on the challenge of shifting to a digital-first approach. In the process of working to develop more appealing and engaging online content, a cross-functional education and digital project team created new project management, workflow, and content frameworks for the initiative that can be applied by other institutions, particularly those young in their digital maturation.

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Adopting Digital Working
Models at FAMSF
#MW19

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Tricia Robson
Director of Digital Strategy
trobson@famsf.org
Kelly Mincey
Digital Production Manager
kmincey@famsf.org
Emily Stoller-Patterson
Education Digital Project Manager
estollerpatterson@famsf.org

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de Young museum | Golden Gate Park Legion of Honor museum | Lincoln Park
What is FAMSF?

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What is Insights?

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George Caleb Bingham, Boatmen on the Missouri, 1846

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Digital Stories to Insights

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Digital Stories to Insights

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Thomas Pollock Anshutz, The Ironworkers’ Noontime, 1880

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The greater digital
landscape

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Gallery One | CMA
Art Stories | Mia
Send Me SFMOMA | SFMOMA
Digital Storytelling at Museums

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“...museums are moving away from the mere
display of objects and are now making their
stories central to the visitor experience.”
– Amelia Wong, Getty Institute
Digital Storytelling

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Our starting point

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Increase in visitation to website(s)

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Decline in engagement

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Initial product

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Obstacles
• Departmental silos

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• Departmental silos
• Digital team not 100% involved
Obstacles

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• Departmental silos
• Digital team not 100% involved
• Decisions made quickly
Obstacles

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• Departmental silos
• Digital team not 100% involved
• Decisions made quickly
• Lack of guidance from agency
Obstacles

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Scoping Missteps
• Vague goals
• Funds determined the quality
• Focused on CMS vs. design

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Initial result

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Digital Stories Stats
• Low visitation
• Increased engagement, but content still too long
• No new audiences

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“The Eighties called…
it wants its site back.”
– Concerned Consultant

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Reflection and iteration

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Steps following launch
1. Define your project team + roles
2. Invest in training
3. Determine content parameters
4. Document workflows + best practices

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Charles Wilson Peale, Mordecai Gist, ca. 1774
1. Define your project team + roles

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Education
1. Project Sponsor
2. Content Developer + Strategist
3. Project Manager
Digital
1. Digital Strategist
2. Project Manager
3. Developer
4. Production Coordinator

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Project
Team
Production
Sponsor: Director of Education
● Project Strategy (Digital + Edu)
● Content Developer (Edu)
● Project Manager (Edu)
● Project Manager (Digital)
● Developer (Digital)
● Web Content Coordinator (Digital)
Agency
Stakeholders:
● Curatorial
● Marketing
● Communications
1. Define your project team + roles

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2. Invest in training
• Storytelling frameworks
• SEO
• Project management
• Wireframing

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3. Determine content parameters
• Create content hierarchies
• Keep content snackable
• Avoid competing media

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3. Determine content parameters

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3. Determine content parameters

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Ruth Asawa, Sketchbook with Drawings, ca. 1954
4. Document workflows + best practices

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4. Document workflows + best practices

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Final product

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Launch of Insights

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Brand Guidelines

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Brand Guidelines

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New CMS

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Goals for Insights
• Visitation. Grow the proportion of pageviews to total onsite exhibition
audiences from 25% to 30% in 2019.
• Engagement. Increase the time spent on a page by 30% in 2019.
Insights Stats

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Insights Stats

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Takeaways

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Impact at FAMSF
• Proved major, ongoing cross-functional
collaboration could work
• More cross-departmental project teams
were being defined, with similar charters
• Not always successful
• Greater culture shift

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Steps to replicate
1. Define your project team + roles
2. Invest in training
3. Determine content parameters

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1. Define your project team + roles
2. Invest in training
3. Determine content parameters
4. Document. Everything.
Steps to replicate

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Thank you!