(www.whitney.org/jacoblawrence)
Productio company: Funny Garbage
From
the producers:
Created in conjunction with the exhibition Over the Line: The
Art and Life of Jacob Lawrence, this online space was designed
to promote extended audience participation in the exhibition and
public programs, and to offer free educational resources that
enhance the ways in which Museum and online audiences learn about
Jacob Lawrence’s work. The site includes images of Jacob
Lawrence’s paintings, information, learning resources, and
art activities for teachers, students, families, and interested
visitors. These resources highlight Jacob Lawrence’s themes
and his approach to visual storytelling.
.
Tips from the producers:
It is possible to create a multi-dimensional site with limited
resources. To produce this web site we faced a few challenges:
a bare bones budget, restricted use of images, a short production
time of three months, and no in-house web support. These restrictions
gave us an opportunity to think creatively and use existing resources,
both on- and off-line. For example, we linked relevant areas of
the site to extensive related resources already on the Internet.
These included web sites about artists, writers, and historical
events as well as art suppliers and inventive ways to make visual
narratives using computer software. We also offered Webquests--inquiry-based
activities in which most or all of the information used by learners
is drawn from suggested resources on the Web. Careful research
and organization of this material allowed us to broaden and enrich
the scope of the site. It also allowed us to offer multiple connections
between information on the web site and other material on the
Internet without incurring additional costs.It is highly beneficial
to create and test content and usability with a diverse team of
people
The content for Jacob Lawrence: Exploring Stories was developed
and reviewed collaboratively by Museum staff, artists, K-12 educators,
high school students and interns, and college interns. Their insights
and feedback helped us to modify and shape the content for multiple
audiences. For example, high school interns read and tested step
by step instructions for creating visual narratives in PowerPoint
and making egg tempera paints. They also compiled a vocabulary
list from reading the text for the entire site, and researched
a number of web sites for the Webquest activities.
In addition, we worked with a teacher and 20 students participating
in a high school summer art program in Brooklyn. The students
contributed to the site by creating visual narratives in PowerPoint
that were based on Lawrence’s themes. We worked with a New
York-based design company, Funny Garbage, where some of the production
team had art and Museum backgrounds. They completely understood
our needs, and shared our concerns that the site would be useful,
accessible, and user-friendly. The creativity, expertise, and
collaborative spirit of everyone who contributed to the site helped
to transform our limited resources in highly inventive ways.
The judges said:
" I really enjoyed this site - everything about it seemed
to connect me to the artist and to the students and teachers who
use this site. It is easy to navigate and fun to use. great graphic
use of space."
www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
The judges said:
"I enjoyed visiting your site and would love to see your
museum. Your site made me want to visit!"
www.californiahistoricalsociety.org
From
the Producers:
Last year the in-house California Historical Society web team
faced the challenge of quickly redesigning and rebuilding our
former site into a navigable, informative resource, where visitors
would gain an immediate understanding of the mission and goals
of the California Historical Society, while also accessing sophisticated,
educational content and resources on the history of California.
In six months we met our goals to create a site where CHS would
be able to provide educational outreach to a wide, statewide audience
that goes beyond the Bay Area community where our headquarters
are located. With a limited budget, limited staff resources, and
a tight schedule, we created a site where:
- Researchers gain access to our library and fine arts collections;
- Visitors shop for unique items and books;
- Visitors find up-to-date coverage on CHS exhibitions, events,
tours, awards, and our multi-faceted publication program;
- Statewide institutions in California’s historic and cultural
community are promoted through the California Cultural Directory
and Inside California;
- Educators and students download educational booklets on California’s
history and browse our in-depth, richly illustrated timeline,
California History Online.
Tips from the Producers:
In our efforts to work under real time-constraints and with limited
staff resources, we learned several effective strategies:
- Spend an adequate amount of time organizing the content
and navigation structure. Before beginning the design process,
we worked steadily on laying out a content blueprint that met
our goals. By doing this first, we were able to move quickly
along with the design, and were not be held back by undeveloped
content.
Research. We visited the sites of organizations similar to ours.
By doing this we learned what the web presence for the history
museum community looks like, where the gaps are, and what is
working effectively.
- Keep the design simple. We learned that a uniform and
clean design provides for easy navigation and a sophisticated
look.
- Proofread. We proofread content several times before
posting it on our website. Properly edited copy offers no distractions
and speaks to the quality of the site.
Seek all staff input. We called on the entire staff to help
us develop pages for different departments, give continued feedback,
and keep the hundreds of pages up-to-date.
- Prioritize. The development of a website is a never-ending
process, that requires continuous updates and reevaluation.
It was important for us, at the beginning, to prioritize which
pages and projects should be worked on immediately, and which
could be completed after the initial foundation was established.
Visualize the more complicated components of the site as separate
productions. Instead of trying to incorporate larger, detailed
projects into our base plan for the site, we treated them as
“mini-websites.” For a few productions, such as the
California Cultural Directory, California History Online,
and the online educational booklet series, we collaborate with
other institutions and historians.
- Use in-house illustrations. Almost all of the images
on our site belong to the CHS collections. By using our own
images we eliminate extraneous time researching illustrations
at other institutions, save money that would be spent on permission
and reproduction fees, and continue to promote our own resources.
The judges said:
"I liked this site. It gave me a feeling for the society
and the state of California. Overall a very informative and well
built site."
