Dear Alicen
Having led sucessful commissioning & creation projects for a couple of
museum websites, experience has taught me the key to success lies in
following a few key rules.
1. Most importantly, know WHY you want a website (‘everyone else has one’
isn’t necessarily the right answer!). What is it going to do for you? Who is
your target audience?
2. Following on from this, write as specific a brief as possible for your
prospective web designers. This should a statement of your business
objectives (examples might be: to increase awareness of your museum, attract
more visitors through your doors, provide an online educational experience,
perhaps linked to National Curriculum key stages…). You shouldn’t attempt
to ‘fix’ your ideas on ‘design’ or technical matters at this stage, but you
should outline the various types of content you would like to see (location,
opening hours, collections, exhibitions, events, education, etc. ) – and a
have a good idea of the ‘assets’ (pictures and text) that you might use for
each section.
3. When it comes to choosing your web designer, you will need professional
competence, of course, but also look for evidence that they understand your
business, and what you are trying to do. Previous experience in a similar
field would be very useful, of course. Watch out for designers who try and
impress you with their mastery of all the latest gimmickry. Some of the
best sites are the simplest ones – with clear, uncluttered design; a
sensible structure which is easy to navigate around; judicious use of
images; etc.
4. Finally, don’t underestimate the impact the website will have on your
museum, internally. It is likely that there will be several ‘stakeholders’
(indviduals or departments) in the museum. Possibilities might be those
responsible for marketing, press & PR, exhibitions, curation, education, the
shop, the café, or the picture library. Make sure all the interested
parties are represented right from the beginning, to help ensure that the
website you commission is going to satisfy all their needs. Once it is up
and running, then there will be a constant need for maintenance and
updating. Again all the stakeholders will need to be able to have input -
but you must be absolutely clear whose responsibility it is to co-ordinate
maintenance of the site (either by doing the work him/herself, or
contracting it out to a web designer). You can avoid a lot of internal
hassle by sorting this issue out at a very early stage!
Make sure too, that there is a budget for regular maintenance, and that
there is an element for web content in each budget that’s put together for a
new exhibition or new publication, your events programme, and anything else
you wish to publicise or make available on your site.
There will be many other things to consider, but if you pay sufficient
attention to these basics you should get off to a good start. I wish you
every success with your new site.
Peter
Peter James
Museums Consultant
Tel: 020 7609 6002
Fax: 0870 135 9706
Mobile: 0789 0039 089
40c Hungerford Road, London N7 9LP
>From: "Targett, Alicen" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museums Computer Group <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: finding a good web designer
>Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 11:21:26 +0100
>
>Dear All
>
>We're in the process of researching for a new web site for our museum. We
>plan to make our collections database available. We also hope to include a
>section aimed at teachers and pupils who are working towards the Medicine
>through Time element of the History GCSE. Does anyone have any thoughts on
>how to go about choosing a web design team or any good experiences to
>recount/teams to recommend, please?
>
>Many thanks
>Alicen
>
>Alicen Targett
>
>Museums of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
>35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields
>London
>WC2A 3PE
>
>tel: 020 7869 6560
>fax: 020 7869 6564
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
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