Griot: An Open Source Digital Storytelling Platform

Museums and the Web

What’s this session all about?

Griot

What’s a “Griot” ?

What is the MIA?

DH

Who am I?

Douglas Hegley

Director of Media and Technology

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

This digital strategy needs some serious

analysis.

TDX Project/Griot Software Development Team

• Mike Mouw – TDX Project Manager: planning, concept implementation, timeline & scheduling, budget discipline, Product Owner

• Andrew David - Head of Software Development: API development, infrastructure design

• Kjell Olsen -Web Developer: image tiling / annotation development, front end integration

• Misty Havens -Web Developer: front end development, WordPress• Tom Borger -Web Developer: WordPress plugin development, front end

integration• Jennifer Jurgens - Graphic Designer-Web/Interactive Media: interface design and

layout, art direction• Meaghan Tongen - Media and Technology Project Coordinator and ScrumMaster:

rights coordinator, WordPress training• Paige Patet – TDX Project Assistant: project task management, authoring, editing

Why?

Language processing

Language comprehension

Smells

Emotions

Emotional reactions

Memories

Motor cortex Visual Images

Your Brain on Facts Your Brain on Stories

Human beings prefer narrative - No one speaks in database

Audience Insights Research

EXPLORER /

PROFESSIONAL

52%

EXPERIENCE

SEEKER

27%

FACILITATING

SOCIALIZER

8%

FACILITATING

PARENTS

7%

RECHARGER

6%

Brand champions

Targeted programing already in place

OK

How does MIA use stories to engage?

“To remain viable, museums must rethink not only what types of

knowledge they create, but how/with whom they create it, and finally how

they communicate it”. - Alex Bortolot, Content Strategist, MIA

PARTICIPANTS

CONTENT: Overall Interpretive Framework

The majority of our audiences do not come to us with deep prior knowledge. In order to engage as many of them as we can, it is our responsibility to deliver content that meets multiple and varied needs.

GENERAL PUBLIC

THE ENGAGED, CURIOUS

NICHE

Snorkeling

Scuba diving

Surface swimming

Wading

CONTEXTIntroduction

What is this?

Why does it matter?

CONTENTNarratives & stories

From surface to complex

Tell me more …

EXPERTISEDeep, rich

Scholarly research

The foundation of details & facts

INFORMATION

Invite, welcome

Inspire, delight

Inform

CONTENT: Layers of Information

PARTICIPANTS

This is not, and never will be, “dumbing things down”. Instead, this is opening as many doors as possible, and meeting our audiences where they are, with respect and enthusiasm.

GENERAL PUBLIC

THE ENGAGED, CURIOUS

NICHE

Snorkeling

Scuba diving

Surface swimming

Wading

What exactly is TDX at MIA?

BEFORE: “The nursing home of museum technology” - MIA staff, 2012

• Establish a modern approach

• Engage audiences via digital platforms

• Overall TDX Project Goals

- Social interaction

- Informal learning

Ambition!

FUNDING

Thank you!

Project

Project Concept: 2012

Evaluation

Report

Vision

Funding: 2012

Road map

Budgets

Project Initiation: 2013

Deadlines

Deliverables

Staffing: 2013

Project Mgr

Project Asst

Teams

Delivery:2013-Today

Phase 1 Africa

Phase 2 Highlights

Phase 3 Japan/Asia

Cross-functional Teams – Roles Defined

Writing Workshops: Curators as SMEs

What tools did TDX evaluate, then use?

Evaluated: PACHYDERM

Evaluated: IMA TAP

SS

Evaluated: AIC LaunchPad

SS

We have the technology

We can build it

… with less than FIVE MONTHS to launch!

Mike, are you okay? Mike?

Internal software development?Seriously?

Recommended:

Commitment to 21st Century Leadership

Audience First

Trust

Frequent, small course corrections

Honest, Transparent

Iterative Cycles

SHARED OWNERSHIP

“Management”: Agile, Lean, Radical …

Speed, Efficiency, Productivity

With Scrum

Iterative cycles –how does that work?

New Working Methods: Strong Collaboration, Rapid Prototyping and Iterative Cycles

Work Sessions

Iteration – Involving our Audiences

Collaboration

Remedial Evaluation

Working methods and tools?

Content Creation

Scholarship is the foundation of our work. Start there.

Everyone likes an underdog. Don’t do just the highlights.

Level with the visitor. Speak to universal experiences.

Good stories trade on the visitor’s empathy

• Who are your characters?

• What is the situation?

• What decisions did they make?

• What were the stakes?

Choosing stories – Which ones? Why those?

If you do nothing else, get rid of the passive voice.

The passive voice denies people of their agency – and sounds like hedging.

The active voice shifts the focus to people doing stuff.

Tone and Voice

Is it an app, or is it a website?

What’s the difference?

Decisions, decisions …

Other Art Museum Factors:• Hi-rez content = heavy upload and large file size for an app

“I won’t delete my music just for this app!”

• Frequent updates, esp. with iterative dev approach“Yeah, we’re waiting on the App store approval again”

Apps Mobile Web

Require Device-specific development and content creation

Responsive design with HTML5

56

Apps Mobile Web

Require Device-specific development and content creation

Responsive design with HTML5

Work on Specific mobile devices Any browser

57

Apps Mobile Web

Require Device-specific development and content creation

Responsive design with HTML5

Work on Specific mobile devices Any browser

Accessed Installed – can be deleted Accessed & rendered – can’t be deleted (can be ignored)

58

Apps Mobile Web

Require Device-specific development and content creation

Responsive design with HTML5

Work on Specific mobile devices Any browser

Accessed Installed – can be deleted Accessed & rendered – can’t be deleted (can be ignored)

Internet Might not need a connection Requires a connection

59

Apps Mobile Web

Require Device-specific development and content creation

Responsive design with HTML5

Work on Specific mobile devices Any browser

Accessed Installed – can be deleted Accessed & rendered – can’t be deleted (can be ignored)

Internet Might not need a connection Requires a connection

Best for • Games• Use of GPS, accelerometer• Personalization• “Ownership”• Bragging rights/expectations

• Content that changes often• Discovery via search• Sharing by users

60

Apps Mobile Web

Require Device-specific development and content creation

Responsive design with HTML5

Work on Specific mobile devices Any browser

Accessed Installed – can be deleted Accessed & rendered – can’t be deleted (can be ignored)

Internet Might not need a connection Requires a connection

Best for • Games• Use of GPS, accelerometer• Personalization• “Ownership”• Bragging rights/expectations

• Content that changes often• Discovery via Search• Sharing by users

$$$ It’s gonna cost you … and it’s gonna cost others too

• Less expense upfront• More flexible – if done right

61

Responsive DesignOne URL -> multiple devices

(Chrome works best)

• Responsive website is not ALWAYS the way to go• Depends on multiple factors: requirements, constraints, flexibility, etc. • You’ll just have to decide yourself!

It’s not a “rule”

http://www.mdgadvertising.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/should-you-build-a-mobile-app-or-mobile-website.png

Technical features of Griot

AngularJS MVW FrameworkWordPress CMS (other web CMS systems can be adapted for Griot, such as Drupal, Joomla, etc.)

JSON

Toolset components and detailed documentation

HTML5 application that visitors view in the MIA gallerieshttp://github.com/artsmia/griot

WordPress Plugin for annotating images and writing content http://github.com/artsmia/GriotWP

Image tiling applicationhttp://github.com/artsmia/tilesaw

What did TDX deliver?

Delivered: ArtStories

4Breaking News: Zulu Beer Pot ArtStory recognized in 2015 AAM Excellence in Exhibition Label Writing Competition

6

Delivered: Study Table

What is open source?

It’s free, right?

Open Source Software• “Free” download• No company• Community support• Can be modified• Susceptible to security issues• Requires technical skills

Commercial Software• License fee• Maintenance fee• Company support• Often cannot be modified• May require less tech support

Open Source

Griot is free and open sourcehttps://github.com/artsmia/griot

We actively seek partners to use, modify, and share Griotback to the community

Has TDX been successful?

Formal Evaluation

• Visitors will use technology in the galleries. • They will spend a significant amount of time with

the technology, and will read aloud and discuss as they do so.

• The technology was used effectively and with positive response by individuals and groups.

• The use of technology does not detract from visitor focus on the art.

• When visitors left the gallery, the descriptions of their visit were almost exclusively about the art, and notably not about the technology.

• People who used the technology spent more time in the exhibit than those that did not use the technology• even after subtracting the time spent using the

technology

Next Up: Evaluation of Phase 2

Who else is using Griot?

Saint Louis Art Museum

The de Young (FAMSF)

Can we see it now please?

Live Demo(gasp!)

What’s next?

What’s on the horizon for Griot?

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Living Rooms: The Period Room ProjectsOur 18th century rooms speak about contemporary issues like race, gender, technology, and the 24-hour economy

Focus on the Arts of AsiaChallenge: thematic groupings, instead of objects

Global Maps (fingers crossed!)Stories of global trade and exchange told through a digital map interface

?

More Partners (Let’s Build it Together)

This presentation available at: http://www.slideshare.net/dhegley

Thank you! Questions?

More information on Griot:

http://thoughtsparked.blogspot.com/Douglas Hegley: @dhegleyMike Mouw: @MikeMouw