Technology moves fast, but museums move slowly. This session featured case studies from MOSI and York Museums Trust and group discussions about ways forward in this area. 1 of 2 presentations from this session Session: Workshops

1. Museums Computer Group/Digital Learning Network
Engaging digital audiences in museums
1 July 2012, University of Manchester
What next steps can we take to improve our museums' ability to make
the most of technology for the benefit of our users?
MOSI Case Study
Learning points from recent projects:
• Hardware obsolescence
• Hardware resilience
• Bespoke software limitations
• Visitor behaviour!

2. Hardware obsolescence
Connecting Manchester Gallery
– opened in Nov 2007
Mi-guide is a hand-held multimedia
Guide.
During early development of mi-Guide,
hardware options considered were:
• smart phones – inadequate
functionality, network charges
• tablet PCs – too big, too expensive
(because low take-up then)
• PDAs – unfamiliar to many but
chosen because tried and tested
(e.g. Tate Modern) and wifi-compatible
In April 2007 Dell announced that it was
ceasing manufacture of PDAs.

3. Hardware obsolescence and standards
Revolution Manchester Gallery screens galore!
• Media wall – 50 x 46-inch bezelless LCD screens
• Registration posts – 15 screens
• Bar-code activated exhibits – 11 screens (+ 4 iPads)
• Stand-alone screens – 11
Manufacturers’ ranges of screen sizes can change at
short notice.
Problem with screens for Zeta generator game – table
designed for one manufacturer’s screens but changed
to another manufacturer’s screens during procurement
– for cost saving. Screens were nominally the same
size but not so in reality.

4. Hardware/software resilience
Revolution Manchester Gallery
Gallery designers (Kin Design) were
very keen to use iPads for the bar-
code activated exhibit in front of the
replica Baby computer – world’s first
stored-program computer interpreted
via latest 'must-have' computer.
But iPads aren't designed for 'kiosk'
use.
Problems experienced:
• Pinhole access to start button -
visitors find ways to reboot and get
into other software.
• Apple's frequent iPad OS updates
have an undesirable impact on the
maintenance load.

5. Bespoke software limitations
Revolution Manchester Gallery media wall
The 16:9 aspect ratio was a strong element of
the gallery design so the wall is made up of:
• a main wall of a 3 x 3 central section,
flanked by two 4 x 4 sections (41 screens)
Full 50-screen rendering • a fractured side wall (leading to the digital
sculpture) with 9 screens interspersed by
light boxes and blanks
The screen arrangment means that the
operating software had to be bespoke –
because the rendering server is performing a
Full 50-screen rendering
non-standard function.
This limits the media that can be shown.
Alternative format

6. Visitor behaviour
Revolution Manchester Gallery registration
When visitors register a bar-code card, their photo is taken and
shown on the digital sculpture – ascending from bottom to top.
When they activate games with their card, they collect 'assets' – e.g.
scores. They can access these assets by going to the MOSI
website and entering their card number and user name to open a
personal page.
The registration screens and the cards prompt visitors to keep their
cards and remember their user names, but we get regular requests
to retrieve user names – a time-consuming task!
Post-visit
The Your Revolution
Manchester page is
where visitors log in.