Rosie
I've been messing around with some 'apps' for a small museum, not to show off its general collection but to take material produced from projects with students (artwork, animations, recordings) and 'making them into an app' with info on objects plus a couple of simple games.
Guided by Mike Ellis I avoided going the 'real' app route and instead just implemented stuff using standard web techniques (HTML/CSS a dash of Javascript).
The museum 'feels' it's got an app as it can load everything onto an iPad (using the Kiosk Pro app) and hand it to a visitor in gallery, no wifi required, but can also try it out on a PC.
I realise you want to do much broader stuff with a lot of content access, but would just like to underline Mike's points and to emphasise that a web technology based approach is more easily maintainable (and cheap) than going for a native app.
Although you don't have the full functionality available to a native app, it's worth starting, as I'm sure others will also point out, with the question: 'if an app is the answer, what is the question?'. Getting the museum's content accessible (and in a sustainable way) is probably going to be more important to them than a bells and whistles game.
Annette
________________________________________
From: Museums Computer Group [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Mike Ellis [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 28 October 2014 09:09
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MCG] Small museums/organisations creating apps (or not creating apps)
Hey Rosie
I'm sure people on the list will furnish you with some specifics on why
they made the decisions they made - but I think there's two thoughts
which in our experience you might want to think about a bit.
First off is related to Tony's point - which is about focusing on the
what rather than the how first. So knowing what content you've got, what
you're trying to do - and only then figuring out which approach is best.
Mobile might be, an app might be - but don't start with that.
If it's of interest we have a bunch of digital strategy worksheets here:
http://out.thirty8.co.uk/digitalstrategy which might be of use in
helping hone this down.
Second - I suspect there is a whole heap of stuff you and the museum
could do which would have more impact and bang for buck than developing
a mobile app. I'm not saying _don't_ produce an app, I'm saying there's
baseline stuff which is more important - and cheaper to do. Stuff like
checking your SEO is good, writing more content, looking at your Google
Analytic, juggling the navigation of your site around, digitising,
making sure the site works on mobile devices, creating a better
newsletter template.... etc etc.
Final thing - we did a simple introductory guide to mobile options
recently which you'll find here:
http://www.thirty8.co.uk/resource/mobile-101/ - might again be useful to
you or others on the list.
cheers, and good luck!
Mike
_____________________________
*Mike Ellis *
Thirty8 Digital: a small but perfectly formed digital
agency:http://thirty8.co.uk <http://thirty8.co.uk/>
* My book: http://heritageweb.co.uk <http://heritageweb.co.uk/> *
Tony Crockford wrote:
>> On 28 Oct 2014, at 08:00, Rosie Fuller<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> My question is, really - have organisations found that creating an app is worth the time/money invested in it?
>
> Can I ask first, how much of their collection has been properly digitised?
>
> e.g multiple photos per object, multiple interpretations at different learning levels?
>
> IMHO that's the very first consideration and usually the most expensive and often overlooked in the scramble to develop digital access.
>
> A collection of objects, digitised and interpreted and added to a powerpoint presentation on a CD would be a way to increase access to their collection without the added expense of app development.
>
> Of course, you'll find the second question you'll be asked when approaching app developers, is what content do you have....
>
> :o)
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