A presentation from Museums and the Web 2009. Allegra Burnette, The Museum of Modern Art, USA Charlotte Sexton, The National Gallery, United Kingdom Joanna Champagne, National Gallery of Art, USA Dana Mitroff Silvers, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA Using case studies from the Web site redesigns of The Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA), the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (NGA), the National Gallery, London, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), this paper considers the changing role of museum Web sites, outlines the goals of the respective projects, compares and contrasts the different approaches taken, and presents valuable insights from the four institutions. As of publication, the museums represent the different cycles of a Web site redesign initiative: NGA is in the discovery and strategy phase, the National Gallery and MoMA are in the development stage, and the new SFMOMA site is live. Together the authors of this paper explore the shared challenges we faced in planning, developing, and deploying new and improved Web sites, and present some of the valuable, and painful, lessons learned. These lessons – applicable to organizations of all sizes – include how to manage staff input, how to keep team momentum and enthusiasm, and how to evaluate all technology options. Within these practical discussions, we also touch upon some of the fundamental, strategic considerations involved in the preparation and planning of a major, cross-departmental endeavor. We hope to offer the wider museum community an opportunity to tap into our recently acquired first-hand knowledge and experience. Mini-Workshop: Redesign: A survivors guide [Mini-Workshop]

1. Redesigning Your
Museum’s Web site:
A Survivors’ Guide
Allegra Burnette The Museum of Modern Art
Joanna Champagne, National Gallery of Art, DC
Charlotte Sexton, The National Gallery, United Kingdom
Dana Mitroff Silvers, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Museums and the Web 2009
April 17, 2009

2. Joanna Champagne,
National Gallery of Art, DC

10. Audience: demographics, personas, attitudes

12. Discover your audience via
the attitudes they have
towards Art and your
museum...find out what they
are passionate about

13. Look beyond museums: trends

16. Smart search, and evolving
discussions about art in the
social sphrere..leave no
influential web trend/practice
unexamined

17. Brand direction: digital and physical equity

22. Harmonize Web design with
existing physical brand
systems and institutional
values...so that online and
physical experiences can
form a cyclical and
nourishing relationship

23. Moving towards design

26. Serve the art and the place

32. Charlotte Sexton,
The National Gallery, UK

33. Web site redesigns:
an exercise in leadership

35. Yes we can…

36. Everyone has an opinion…

37. Homepage: January 2008

38. Homepage: April 2008

39. Homepage: May 2008

40. Homepage: June 2008

41. Homepage: August 2008

42. ‘Success’ is spelt t.e.a.m.

43. The Team
EXTERNAL PARTNERS CORE PROJECT TEAM ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Governance:
Information Systems:
Project owner
1 x Production Support
Head of Information Systems
1 x Programmer
Head of Collections
1 x Collection integration
CMS - BoxUK 1 x Technical Support
Core Project team:
Design and IA - Bureau for Internal Departments:
1 x Designer
Information
Visual Affairs 2 x Editors
Education
1 x Administrator
Search Engine Development
1 x Project Leader
Optimisation - I-Level Comms and Media
1 x Project Manager
Curatorial
Photographic
Curatorial:
AV
Collection Information Manager
Plus:
Additional temp staff

44. Q. How do you survive
a website redesign project?

45. Allegra Burnette,
The Museum of Modern Art

46. It’s more about the people
than the technology

48. 1. Outline your internal capabilities and resources

49. 1. Outline your internal capabilities and resources
2. Specify initial technical requirements

50. 1. Outline your internal capabilities and resources
2. Specify initial technical requirements
3. Further define your requirements

51. 1. Outline your internal capabilities and resources
2. Specify initial technical requirements
3. Further define your requirements
4. Remain flexible

52. 1. Outline your internal capabilities and resources
2. Specify initial technical requirements
3. Further define your requirements
4. Remain flexible
5. Think about the launch, but also think long-term

53. Internal Web Teams
SFMOMA = 2 people
National Gallery, London = 5 people
NGA = 5 people
MoMA = 7 people

56. Existing, off-the-shelf solutions
Open-source software
Custom solutions

61. If you’re thinking of doing it
internally, hire good people!

63. If you’re thinking of doing it
externally, hire vendors who
have a real understanding of your
goals and requirements

64. If you’re thinking of doing it
externally, hire vendors who
have a real understanding of your
goals and requirements
or get different vendors.

65. And don’t forget to have fun!

66. Dana Mitroff Silvers,
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

69. Be ready to respond
1.

70. Be ready to respond
1.
Success is not just about
2.
the numbers

72. London, 16 March 2009 | | 1

73. London, 16 March 2009 | | 1

77. Success is not just about the
numbers

78. Establish goals you can evaluate
Be realistic about the results
you can get

80. To what extent does the new
SFMOMA site:

81. To what extent does the new
SFMOMA site:

82. To what extent does the new
SFMOMA site:
Contextualize the collection?
1.

83. To what extent does the new
SFMOMA site:
Contextualize the collection?
1.
Foster engagement with the
2.
museum?

85. Confluence of factors:
Our methodology
1.
Difficult (impossible?) goals
2.
to measure

86. i

87. Thank you!
And now the questions...