digital media at the v&a, bits2blogs, newcastle, 2013

Andrew Lewis

Digital Media at the V&A

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums

Bits 2 Blogs, 19 March 2013

linkd.in/andrewlewis@rosemarybeetle

Victoria and Albert Museum

This session will cover these issuesThis session will cover…

• Organisational governance and structure

• Digital Media content-delivery strategies

• Technical implementation of digital services1. Developing new services 2. Rationalising legacy systems

• Using evidence of user needs to develop services

A journey

Strategy

MeasurementImplementation

Governance

Iterate

Governance

Governance….

Organisational governance

New governance for digital processes agreed March 2012Digital Governance – March 2012

Trustee’s Technology Strategy Committee - role

• Ensure best practice in digital

• Agree, review and steer projects within an overarching digital programme

• Check design integrity of digital output

Trustee’s Technology Strategy Committee - scope

• Digital output and content

• ICT infrastructure

• Creation of digital assets

Aligning departmental structure

Digital Media restructuring July 2012

Defining content process

Content commissioning workflow

Strategy

Developing strategic guidelines

Technical strategic guidelines

• Be audience focussed

• Use open data-driven as default

• Mobile first

• Use short planning cycles and defined product lifespans

• Make faster, smaller changes to services

• Separate content programming from delivery design

• Have clear governance and processes

• Objective-based planning/ evidence-based review

• A strategic direction not a fixed destination

Implementation

FutureNow

Change is daunting

Rationalising services

V&A website landscape March 2012

V&A projected website landscape

You have to start somewhere

Targeted areas for 6-12 month action

Tough Love

Change requires hard decisions and effort

• Restructured digital media department

• Department staff reduced by 30%

• Closed down 50+ legacy microsites

• Closed down 100+ legacy interactives

• Migrated main CMS to the Cloud

• Migrated media store off site

Shiny new things

New services or enhancements• Iterations of responsive design for mobile

• Main pages, Home page, July 2012

• What’s On, Search pages, November 2012

•The Network – multiple-feed news blog

•Launched calendar app

• Improved What’s On design

•Rolling out branded V&A font on web pages

•Data-driven digital labels

•Launched 100 Plays theatre app

Responsive mobile website - July 2012

Mobile – user behaviour

Technical strategic guidelines

• Be audience focussed

• Use open data-driven as default

• Mobile first

• Use short planning cycles and defined product lifespans

• Make faster, smaller changes to services

• Separate content programming from delivery design

• Have clear governance and processes

• Objective-based planning/ evidence-based review

• A strategic direction not a fixed destination

The Network www.vam.ac.uk/b/blog/network

The Network – multiple-feed news blog

Learning

Research

Artist in Residence

Poster collection

Engraved ornament

The Network

Technical strategic guidelines

• Be audience focussed

• Use open data-driven as default

• Mobile first

• Use short planning cycles and defined product lifespans

• Make faster, smaller changes to services

• Separate content programming from delivery design

• Have clear governance and processes

• Objective-based planning/ evidence-based review

• A strategic direction not a fixed destination

Evidence

Beginners guide to using analytics

= good, right?

Technical strategic guidelines

• Be audience focussed

• Use open data-driven as default

• Mobile first

• Use short planning cycles and defined product lifespans

• Make faster, smaller changes to services

• Separate content programming from delivery design

• Have clear governance and processes

• Objective-based planning/ evidence-based review

• A strategic direction not a fixed destination

Using Analytics to understand users12

3

5

4

18,961 visits from same header link on ALL pages(includes home page)

8,961 visits from here

21,089 visits from here

slidesha.re/ZoOiOr

Asking users to understand usersSurvey visitors to the V&A Autumn 2012

•People turn off data to save money

•60% of people use a SMART phone to enhance their visit

•People bring their phones, but not their tablets

Full report free to download on V&A Digital Media blog

www.vam.ac.uk/digitalmedia

Strategy

MeasurementImplementation

Governance

Iterate

Organisations are systems

A journey

Victoria and Albert Museum

Thank youwww.vam.ac.uk/digitalmedia

Andrew Lewis

Digital Media at the V&A