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Mobile Means Multi-Platform: Producing Content for the Fast-Changing Mobile Space

egangsei — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:57:00 +0000

MW2011

Erica Gangsei and Tim Svenonius, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA

Abstract

Starting in early 2009, SFMOMA embarked on an ambitious plan to bring the production, publishing and distribution of its mobile tour in-house. This meant investing in a fleet of Apple iPod Touches, scripting and producing hours of new audio and multimedia content, and adopting a new authoring system to custom craft the user experience.

In the months since we began developing the new tour, innovations in the mobile app space have grabbed tech headlines everywhere. More and more, users of iPhones and other mobile devices want to know: can I download this to my own phone? (or: Why can't I?) Had we started our development the following year, we might have revised our approach in light of the rapid evolutions taking place. Teeming masses of developers have descended on the app space and quickly made it clear that many distinct approaches to the mobile problem space are available and within reach.

Now, with our home-grown mobile tour in place, we need to design a streamlined approach to serving our visitors in-house both with our devices and their own. We also need to keep in mind the thousands of Web visitors who use and enjoy our online content via SFMOMA's website or RSS feeds – an audience potentially neglected as the emphasis shifts to the mobile space. How can we produce and publish multimedia content effectively in the mobile sphere? And how can we optimize content designed for in-gallery use when it may be experienced, via apps or the Web, far from the museum?

Finally, most of our mobile stops are published to multiple delivery platforms: 1) the in-house mobile multimedia tour, 2) download via RSS, 3) Guide-by-cell, and 4) an app for iPhone and Android platforms. Can we create a one-size-fits-all solution all mobile platforms? In this paper we'll explore the viability of platform-independent content for museums, discuss how content can be tailored to specific delivery platforms, and share some key considerations in repurposing Web content for mobile use and vice versa.

Keywords: Apps, RSS, in-house production, multi-media tour, multi-platform, on-site vs on-line

Program Item Reference:

Mobile Means Multi-Platform: Producing Content for the Fast-Changing Mobile Space

egangsei — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 02:00:46 +0000

MW2011

Published Paper:

Mobile Means Multi-Platform: Producing Content for the Fast-Changing Mobile Space

Keywords:

apps

Keywords:

RSS

Keywords:

“Multimedia Tour”

Keywords:

“Multiplatform”

Keywords:

“In-House Production”

Keywords:

“Onsite vs. Online”

Abstract:

In the eighteen months since we began developing the new tour, innovations in the mobile app space have grabbed tech headlines everywhere. More and more, users of iPhones and other mobile devices want to know: can I download this to my own phone? (or: Why can’t I??) If we’d started our development a year later, or even a few months, we might have given that question more serious consideration – but in time, teeming masses of developers descended on the app space and quickly proved that solutions to this problem could be within our reach.

Now with our home-grown mobile tour in place, we need to design a streamlined approach to serving our visitors in-house both with our devices and their own. We also need to keep in mind the thousands of web visitors who use and enjoy our online content via SFMOMA’s website or RSS feeds - an audience we have paid less attention to since we began our push into the in-gallery handheld space. How do can we produce and publish our multimedia content to reach the broadest audience? How can we measure the value of our mobile-designed content for web visitors? And how can we optimize content designed for in-gallery use when it is being experienced – by app or by webpage – far from the museum?

Finally, most of our mobile stops are crafted for multiple delivery platforms: 1) the in-house mobile multimedia tour, 2) download via RSS, 3) Guide-by-cell, and 4) an app for iPhone and Android platforms. Many of these same stops are also published to our website. Is there a one-size-fits-all solution to creating mobile content for multiple platforms? What are the considerations for different audiences and different platforms?

Type:

Paper - in formal session

Multi-Channel

Site:

http://www.sfmoma.org/multimedia/explore_multimedia

Authors:

Erica Gangsei

Tim Svenonius

The 24 Hour Museum Tunable RSS News Feed

jtrant — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:57:39 +0000

Pratty, J. (2005). The 24 Hour Museum Tunable RSS News Feed. (Trant, Jennifer, David Bearman, Ed.).Museums and the Web 2005: Proceedings.