Museums Writing for Digital Media

ICOM CECA Yerevan 2012
Theo Meereboer
museums concept & strategy
E30 Foundation / COMMiDEA

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writing text for digital media

Theo Meereboer

Theo Meereboer

welcome!

:-)

Theo Meereboer

what are we going to do?

what we are going to do

- Getting to know eachother
- examples
- introduction + a little bit
of theory
- tweet tweet
- more examples
- writing for new media in the
museum
- feedback and discussion

getting to know eachother

- Please introduce yourself by
telling
• who you are
• where you are from.
• What your connection is to the
subject
• What your challenges are?
• What you expect to learn today
• How we can learn from
eachother?

examples + introduction + a
little bit of theory
- something new /
something old
- new or digital media
- text in museums: use and
purpose
- the other way(s) around: the
dialogue museum

combining the physical,
digital and intangible (oral)
and making it mobile

trans situ?

?
so mething old

the object behind the text

ew?
s omething n

listen and see...

ted
someth ing unexpec

look, listen at kensington Palace

som ething cool

sit here and hear the walls...

london museum: ‘audiotour’

try, fail, analyze, improve, learn

tips for writing

be imaginative

this text is too long already?

most people do not have a
lot of time or attention
when they are reading a
text online, so write
short, clear, (inter)active

this text is too long already?

excercise
think of the most precious,
famous or otherwise
spectacular object in your
museum / heritage site

1.write a tweet about it
in which you try to summarize
the utmost essence in 140
characters...

be quick

the results...
1.how did you use twitter?
2.for whom?
3.did you use it as a linking
pin?
4.did you use a hyperlink?
5.was the link to long?
6.could it be shorter?
7.did you mention anyone?
8.was your tweet engaging?

be smart

in search of van Gogh...

where to meet your audience?

the official museum website

will they enter via the website?

a regional heritage database

will they search for him where he lived?

where museums get together

will they search on common grounds?

where people are social

will they look for shared experiences?

crowdsourced knowledge

will they look for informal sources?

where Europe collects data

will they search for official records ?

L.I.S.T.: Location, Information,
Social, (real)Time

will they use combined Google data?

Google Art Project

will they go for the highlights?

YouTube is the nr 1 search
engine amongst youngsters

maybe they search for valuable fun?

Sharing images on twitter by
adolescent ‘tweeps’

maybe they search for instant identity?

collecting interesting stuff;
target group ‘young women’

maybe they expect to find him here?

rehearse, remix, recreate...

they may get involved in a playful way

what kind of writing is needed

meeting the needs,
interest, questions,
passion of your
audience...

what kind of writing is needed

6 x
approach
L  + +  Loosen
for the
near
 Listen
future
/ Like-wise

 Learn (lifelong)

 (L.a.t.) relations
Loyalty And Trust

 be Loved

How can you adjust your way of writing to
this reading behavior?

- make a long story short
- be:
• brief
• imaginative
• direct
• concise
• quick
• dare to make a mistake
•make it ‘more or less’ ready
- usefull:
• headers and white spaces
• (hyper) links
• active form of writing

ask, invite, link, share...

How can you adjust your way of writing to
this reading behavior?

- understand your audience
- where do you meet? (places, media)
- how would you describe your
relation? Will it last? (make it
sustainable, ask to engage, promote, share)
- Do your best to:
- inform
- engage
- entertain

making it interactive

checking in: kensington Palace

it is not just you writing

who’s in charge?

crossmedia / transmedia

less = more


museum { }

print...

less = more


museum { }

print...

broadcast<

less = more


museum { }
mobile “ ”
print...

web::

broadcast<

less = more


museum { }
mobile “ ”
print...

core
text
web::

broadcast<

less = more

different texts: stories, labels,
descriptions and the interface. They should be
fully integrated and all coming from one core
text

- mobile apps (foursquare, facebook,
routes, fotopedia heritage, anne’s
amsterdam, streetmuseum, etc.)

- weblog / tumblr, facebook
(page), twitter

- multimedia (games, video, multitouch)

- storytelling...

Different purposes: different media

- making a ‘story’ with
different episodes,
disseminated on several
media & devices (=
crossmedia).
- Using the specific
characteristics and
qualities of each medium and
care for possibilities to
switch
- involving your audience
the crossmedia approach

crosssmedia:
- conversations
- meeting places (agora)
- interaction

- medium specificity: use of medium / channel
according to the specific qualities and
possibilities
- Internet (Web 2.0, social media) often forms
the connecting factor, but mobile is on its
way to take over
- storytelling is a means to share messages
and to involve users in the story
- ‘Your’ message may deviate from the planned
route, partly as a result of co-creation /
Conversation / participation
- The story requires a non-linear approach,
follows several directions, parallel,
intersecting and asynchronous
- crossmedia will enhance: reach, relevance,
conversation, experience, involvement

characteristics of crossmedia

transmedia*
- parallel and intersecting routes
- Transfer and moments of choice
- 24/7 integration daily life
- Participation / involvement

* see a.o. Henry Jenkins, Christy Dena

blog / event expo /
facebook / site /
twitter / museum
google+
scooop. it!
paper.li
etc. research
internship
debate curriculum
+ LinkedIn

seminar
‘knowledge
ecology’
app
mobile

e.g. issuu /
slideshare / photo
flipbook / 3D / AR
pinterest
video
game

Ready-S.E.T.-Go! (Social Engagement
Text)
1. core text / identity
• look!
• because:
• and so...

think like a copywriter

Text)
• look! -> attention
• because: -> explanation
• and so... -> engagement


Text)
2. communication goal / values
(ambition)


Text)
(ambition)
3. followers / audience (outreach)


Text)
(ambition)
4. media / platforms / events


Text)
(ambition)

Are you telling a story?


Text)
(ambition)

- Why?


Text)
(ambition)

- Why?
- where?


Text)
(ambition)

- Why?
- where?
- to whom?


your ‘story’
1. core text + specific goal /
audience / channel / moment
2. media
• paper (handout, poster, billboard)
• catalogue (sure)
• novel (why not?)
• for a mediator
• on a blog
• on facebook, slideshare or even
on twitter (to be continued...)
• scenario
• gameplay
• (QR) route

act like a storyteller

1. research (audience, meeting place,
topics)

2. reach (media choice, timing)

3. resources (content, creation,
customers)

4. relevance!

strategy

form 3 groups
•choose 2 exhibitions / objects in the
museum.
•observe + analyze
•5 questions:
- is there any text? how?
- for which target group? (age, interest,
etc.)
- what would you do different?
- which media would you choose? why?
- via which media are you able to transfer
the information / message / theme?
(mediation)
•adapt the text / your text to the media of
your choise

use one of three different media / channels:
web | multimedia | mobile

start writing

feedback from each group

what went wrong (I hope something did)

can we combine your texts?

what is necessary for letting individuals
move from one media to another?
what does this attribute to the story?

what was the most difficult part? why?

what was the most useful part? why?

ca we stay in touch to discuss this?

discussion + questions

thank you so much!

this presentation will be
available via:
slideshare.com/erfgoed

let’s keep in touch...

theo@stichtingE30.nl
@theomeereboer

Museums Writing for Digital Media

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