Website and mobile
We review the latest websites and apps
Websites
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
A new discovery engine could be more user-friendly, says Rebecca Atkinson
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (Twam) has launched a new online discovery engine
in partnership with Microsoft Research and Newcastle University. The search tool features 32,000 objects from museums and galleries in the north-east.
The site’s entry point is a little intimidating, featuring a changing image from the collections and not much else. Three buttons at the bottom of the page allow users to find out more about the object, zoom in or share. It took me a while to work out that by scrolling down I’d come across more objects, from football shirts to miners’ safety lamps.
Where this site differs from other collection engines, is that the objects presented are based on individuals’ browsing speeds and the way they navigate the collection. The idea is for you to stumble across objects you might not have looked for.
The problem is the landing page, and the lack of instructions. It would be helpful to be able to bring up a different object if the one on show doesn’t pique your curiosity. The object information is not exciting and the chance to include user comments or interesting titbits is missed.
Although I like the idea of an intuitive search engine, the site doesn’t explain why some items are presented together and it’s easy to get lost in a sea of related objects. But the discovery engine is designed to work alongside Twam’s traditional online collections search. What it reveals about how people browse collections will be interesting for the wider sector.
Our Museum
No frills – just a site that does its job
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has launched a website to share resources and case studies from its Our Museum programme. The website highlights best practice in order to support venues that want to increase community engagement and participation through organisational change.
Our Museum involved nine cultural institutions: Hackney Museum; Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives; the Lightbox, Woking; the National Museum of Wales; Belfast Exposed; Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums; Glasgow Museums; Ryedale Folk Museum; and the Museum of East Anglian Life.
The homepage features programme information and frequently asked questions. From there, users can browse resources in five categories: governance and leadership; staff and professional development; engaging with community partners; learning and evaluation; and structures.
There is a lot of information, but videos and audiovisual presentations make the content accessible and digestible. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has clearly thought hard about what information people need to achieve organisational change, and this is reflected in the site.
It will be a vital resource for some time to come, especially as the content is added and updated.
Apps
Clapping Music
Rebecca Atkinson gets addicted to the rhythm of this app
Although not strictly one for museums, the Clapping Music app for iPhones and iPads illustrates how arts organisations can reach new audiences through digital technology.
The gamification app, which was downloaded 15,000 times in its first five days, was launched by the London Sinfonietta orchestra and is based on Steve Reich’s 1971 composition performed entirely by clapping.
Clapping Music starts with some background to the composition for those unfamiliar with it: two people clap the same short rhythmic pattern, with one shifting theirs by a beat until the two patterns align again. Simple idea, but challenging to pull off. The user then has to tap in time with a shifting pattern (you can choose easy, medium or hard) and progress through variations.
I chose the easy option and managed to consistently score 0 for the 15 minutes or so that I tested the app. The game is quite addictive once you get the hang of it, but I imagine that the more musically gifted will get more out it than the tone deaf.
Beyond the clapping, there’s not much to the app, but by using a challenging game that appeals to a wide range of people, the orchestra is well placed to engage more people with the work of Reich and the broader contemporary classical music scene.
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
A new discovery engine could be more user-friendly, says Rebecca Atkinson
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (Twam) has launched a new online discovery engine
in partnership with Microsoft Research and Newcastle University. The search tool features 32,000 objects from museums and galleries in the north-east.
The site’s entry point is a little intimidating, featuring a changing image from the collections and not much else. Three buttons at the bottom of the page allow users to find out more about the object, zoom in or share. It took me a while to work out that by scrolling down I’d come across more objects, from football shirts to miners’ safety lamps.
Where this site differs from other collection engines, is that the objects presented are based on individuals’ browsing speeds and the way they navigate the collection. The idea is for you to stumble across objects you might not have looked for.
The problem is the landing page, and the lack of instructions. It would be helpful to be able to bring up a different object if the one on show doesn’t pique your curiosity. The object information is not exciting and the chance to include user comments or interesting titbits is missed.
Although I like the idea of an intuitive search engine, the site doesn’t explain why some items are presented together and it’s easy to get lost in a sea of related objects. But the discovery engine is designed to work alongside Twam’s traditional online collections search. What it reveals about how people browse collections will be interesting for the wider sector.
Our Museum
No frills – just a site that does its job
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has launched a website to share resources and case studies from its Our Museum programme. The website highlights best practice in order to support venues that want to increase community engagement and participation through organisational change.
Our Museum involved nine cultural institutions: Hackney Museum; Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives; the Lightbox, Woking; the National Museum of Wales; Belfast Exposed; Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums; Glasgow Museums; Ryedale Folk Museum; and the Museum of East Anglian Life.
The homepage features programme information and frequently asked questions. From there, users can browse resources in five categories: governance and leadership; staff and professional development; engaging with community partners; learning and evaluation; and structures.
There is a lot of information, but videos and audiovisual presentations make the content accessible and digestible. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has clearly thought hard about what information people need to achieve organisational change, and this is reflected in the site.
It will be a vital resource for some time to come, especially as the content is added and updated.
Apps
Clapping Music
Rebecca Atkinson gets addicted to the rhythm of this app
Although not strictly one for museums, the Clapping Music app for iPhones and iPads illustrates how arts organisations can reach new audiences through digital technology.
The gamification app, which was downloaded 15,000 times in its first five days, was launched by the London Sinfonietta orchestra and is based on Steve Reich’s 1971 composition performed entirely by clapping.
Clapping Music starts with some background to the composition for those unfamiliar with it: two people clap the same short rhythmic pattern, with one shifting theirs by a beat until the two patterns align again. Simple idea, but challenging to pull off. The user then has to tap in time with a shifting pattern (you can choose easy, medium or hard) and progress through variations.
I chose the easy option and managed to consistently score 0 for the 15 minutes or so that I tested the app. The game is quite addictive once you get the hang of it, but I imagine that the more musically gifted will get more out it than the tone deaf.
Beyond the clapping, there’s not much to the app, but by using a challenging game that appeals to a wide range of people, the orchestra is well placed to engage more people with the work of Reich and the broader contemporary classical music scene.