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Where are we at with mobile?

By: Dr Lynda Kelly, Category: Museullaneous, Date: 17 Oct 2012

Where are we up to with developing and implementing mobile in our both our physical and online sites?

In 2010 we implemented a mobile strategy which aims to:

• Increase access to our research and collections while repurposing existing content
• Share our content + enable user-generated content
• Build audiences – reaching new audiences and extending experiences for existing audiences
• Raise revenue / generate income via direct revenue (sell apps in store) and indirect revenue: (bring new and repeat visitors to College Street site)
• Extend our brand as contemporary, connected, cool

To date we have developed two mobile apps: DangerOz, using Sencha Touch technology, and the Frogs Field Guide, using native iOS technology.

We are now developing infrastructure and templates for delivering future non-native apps as well as NFC and QR readers (Tapit Contentum), and aligning these with physical College Street content, specifically a “treasure trail” application (Pack ‘n Plunder) and a mobile labels application (Deep Oceans behind-the-scenes tour; Alexander the Great text and audio; and a conference app for INTERCOM 2012). We are also working with scientists to turn previously print-publishable material into responsive websites and/or mobile apps, as well as a potential citizen-science mobile project.

The next challenges for us are in user-testing and how we actually deliver and promote the apps before, during and after a physical Museum visit. These are the subjects of my next blog posts.

This paper, Digital @austmus, outlines more.