Presentation for museum exhibit and content developers on designing experiences for visitor participation. First presented in the context of a workshop for Seattle-area museums at the University of Washington on April 24, 2009. A Nina Simon/Museum 2.0 presentation.

1. 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

2. there are lots of ways people participate in museums...
Exploratorium Denver Art Museum International Spy Museum

3. today, we’re going to focus on social participation
Ontario Science Centre Chicago History Museum SFMOMA
and the social technology that supports it

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

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

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. what makes YouTube different?

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

12. 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

13. participation
begins with “me”

14. not all participants are creators

15. deliver a personally relevant content stream
facebook

16. invite people in for their own reasons
ilikemuseums.com

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

18. offer tools for self-identification & interaction

19. design low-barrier entry points to creativity
Denver Art Museum Denver Art Museum

20. networking
individuals into an
architecture of
participation

21. “me-to-we” at work
librarything

22. take polling to the next level
Anne Frank House

23. find elegant ways to network existing transactions
Haarlem Oost branch library

24. reconsider floor programming and training
Ontario Science Centre

25. find ways to let users support each other
The Tech Virtual

26. activating exhibits
as social objects

27. support personal, inviting, intriguing objects
London Science Museum
UW rockstar

28. create social infrastructure for interaction
lab.signtific.org

29. find new ways to evaluate success
Science Museum of Minnesota

30. designing platforms,
not exhibits

31. define the participatory powers clearly
Minnesota History Center

32. give away the fun parts, keep the hard parts
The Tech Virtual

33. use an infrastructure that reflects your values

34. create multiple inroads for different kinds of participants
Smithsonian American Art Museum

35. use storytelling devices that invite everyone to contribute
World Without Oil

36. and now... a break.
and a question.
what current program, exhibit, or
project is a natural starting point for
exploring participatory potential?

37. let’s do it!
how can you...
personalize the experience?
network aggregated actions of individuals?
promote social object experiences?
design exhibits/programs as platforms?