A new website that hopes to appeal to the public and academics alike
The University of Exeter’s Bill Douglas Cinema Museum recently launched its new website to showcase the museum and its collection. As well as the usual visiting information, the website features a search function that allows visitors to build their own collections of images and share these by email or social media. 
From the museum’s point-of-view, the new system makes it easier for staff to upload images and information. And online visitors should now be able to search for items more quickly and accurately. 
The site, designed by Leicester-based agency Rock Kitchen Harris, tries to meet the needs of academics and non-specialist visitors. Anyone who wants to explore the collection can browse categories or carry out advanced searches. 
I feel more could be done to create regularly updated curated pages, with objects of interest pulled out and showcased alongside each other. And although the idea to allow people to create their own collections is a really great one, I wonder whether this will take off or whether people would rather use third-party sites such as Tumblr or Pinterest. 
If the museum wants to follow in the footsteps of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (which offers a similar feature), it should consider making people’s collections more visible. As it stands, creating a collection simply generates a URL which can either be bookmarked or shared. In an age of image-sharing websites, I’m not sure this really stands out.
Website: Harewood House
Small details such as the feeding times for the penguins make this website an attractive prospect 
Harewood House just outside Leeds has launched a website that puts images and accessible information at centre stage. 
Designed by local firm Approach, the site has a simple homepage that features an atmospheric image of the property’s grounds and an invitation to explore. Online visitors can then learn more about the house, the garden and grounds, its art collection and the inhabitants of its bird garden. Behind each option is a surprising amount of information, but it is delivered in such a way as to encourage people to delve deeper rather than being overwhelming. 
The navigation bar is also simple, with visitor information, what’s on and corporate hire promoted alongside “about”, “learn” and “explore”. 
One feature I like about the site is that from the homepage onwards there is a sense that all the information is up-to-date. It’s a simple touch but the date is displayed under the logo with a link to today’s opening times. Under “What’s On”, all the current day’s events (daily penguin feeding anyone?), tours and exhibitions are clearly listed, although visitors can also browse past and future events too. 
The ticketing page is quite complicated, with a large number of options and discounts all baying for attention. But the online booking system appears easy to use and enables people to claim a small discount. 
I wasn’t able to test the site on a tablet, but on my iPhone harewood.org looks just as good and is easy to navigate, with clearly visible opening hours, the option to book tickets and current exhibitions. As with its desktop equivalent, this simplicity shows the property in a good light even before a visit. 
Game apps have given the likes of Rovio Entertainment and King (the respective makers of Angry Birds and Candy Crush) fame and fortune – but do they have anything like the same potential for museums? 

Tate has tried its hand at creating a card-based game (Tate Trumps) while National Museums Scotland has experimented with the multiplayer mobile game, Capture the Museum.
Time Tremors: Horniman, is the latest mobile game from a museum. It was created by the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London in collaboration with Time Tremors, the children’s TV series. 

The app is aimed at five- to eight-year-olds, and sets players different missions based around the museum. It uses characters to offer clues and directions, enabling young visitors to find objects and identify them. Quizzes make this app a useful learning tool as well as a fun activity for young children. 
The first mission is free but subsequent treasure hunts cost 69p each. If parents are prepared to pay for more games, then this app could offer valuable insight into the potential of game apps for the wider museum sector.