Unconference Notes: Open Source for Mobile Devices

 

The following are the raw notes from the Unconference group: Open Source Mobile Device Software at MW2009 on April 16, 2009

 

We came up with a  mantra:  "Build for now, build fast since, build cheap"

 

Attendee's:

Marthe de Vet - Van Gogh Museum

Silvia Fantoni - Sorbonne University

Mark Gilicinski - MobileXpeditions 

Randy Jackson - Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

Dina Helal - Whitney 

Jolien Schroyen - Hasselt University

Paul Clifford - Museum of London

Bob Konjin - Van Gogh Museum 

Jonathan Denholtz - Cal. Academy of Sciences 

Steven Gemmel - J Paul Getty Museum

Ebelien Pondaag - Fabrique Communications 

Nancy Proctor - Smithsonian American Museum of Art

Allegra Burnette - MOMA

Beth Harris - MOMA

Christophe Rhin - Camineo 

 

 

Major Questions - 

1) Cooperation on developing open source solutions for mobile platforms

2) Current business model - how does it work?

3) Can collaboration work?  Good examples?

4) How to solve Logistics of mobile - security (devices walking), production models, limitations?

5) What is the content/experience/audience for mobile?

6) Should we do a case study?

7) Metrics/case studies for the kind of content to study?

8) How to map the transition period - now where the museum gives/rents the device to the future?

 

Discussion about why folks may be reluctant to use own devices - 

• history of no cell phones allowed in institutions
• don't have a download in advance paradigm in mind (as you do for a trip, etc.)
• expectation of added value that institution will provide
• traditional audio tour is typically small (though this seems highly dependent on the institution)

Feel like we are at a turning point, old models are becoming less relevant

Tension inside the museum staff of new experiences distracting from the artwork

Example talked about a school group project 

Take away - need to target groups and want kinds of experiences they want

 

Is it possible to get content via a mobile device - see artwork from other institutions?

Noted that business model of sharing content is difficult, digital rights, etc.

Is there a way to have reciprocal sharing rights - perhaps with a group of museums?

Seems like opportunity there

 

Would be really efficient if museums used the same kind of systems to better repurpose content and the make connections

• takes time to get folks to learn - standardization will help

OMEKA(sp?) funded to look into the open source mobile issue

Is there a way to join forces to create a grant proposal??

Noted that Art Babble is great due to speed.

Take away - Needs to be simple and easy - deliver content to the patrons.

 

Kiosk is stable, mobile is evolving very quickly.  Hard to develop something that will need a lot of investment and time.

Haven't defined an interface and architecture that can work for lots of museums - need different models for different institutions/goals.

Noted how wireless access can be a problem due to physical space issues (building structure, age, etc.)

Deliver a range of experiences - text, audio, video, etc.

Mobile platform is more difficult than a desktop due to lower performance specs of the processor, battery life, etc.

Take away - Ask first, what is the added value for the visitor - make sure the visitor concept is defined first.

Example - beware international data plans and the potential cost, need to have solutions that address the disparity of local vs. international visitors

Noted how things like Droople and others started out as proprietary, eventually open source will come along; perhaps this same multi year evolution will happen in the mobile space

Talked about content - make sure it is in standard web formats to future proof; digital mobile asset management

 

Discussion about Flash on mobile devices - on its availability on devices; its efficacy for mobile (is it too heavy?)

Flash has both code and compiled modes

Example discussed of using Google Earth as a platform to help deliver content 

 

Discussion about whether a standard where everyone has the same experience - will that be good?

Noted how audio has been effectively standardized across institutions.  

Antenna Audio experience was that everyone liked 95% of the functionality, but invariably everyone also wanted a tweak or something special added.

Asked about previous standard efforts - one was Pachyderm - but now it is falling off

 

The more multimedia content you have, the faster it is aging and become old

Suggested we should "build for now, build fast since, build cheap" things are changing so quickly

Noted that model is similar to social media - built fast, cheap, and making it quick

 

Q about security - London Museum has 16 PSP's that goes out into the galleries - not as much of a problem with education groups, real problem is families 

They have service for Flip videos and to burn to a DVD or thumb drive

Trying to do location work within London

What about credit cards?  What about multiplicity of solutions - credit cards, swipes, etc.

Noted some companies provide RFID systems

Example of the Canada Parks - no devices were stolen or broken, but the parks are remote 

Wondered if whether the problem of theft isn't as big as we would think

Noted how iPod Touch is more desirable than Antenna Audio, however

Noted that swiping cards has privacy issues, taking ID's is a potential solution

Talked about battery life as an issue

One view is that iPod touches are cheaper than renting audio devices due to high costs

 

Content 

The audio tour model was noted how everyone wants to walk away before the audio is done

Question - how long should the content last - two minutes is way too long

Audio tours are all made the same way - lots of focus on just one thing at a time

Notion of layers brought up - can layers help fix the audio problem

Van Gogh Museum is doing research into how much audio folks listen.  Start listening to everything and then gradually less as they go on, except for pieces they like.

Noted both security and limited availability, depth but openness

Notion of content being like stepping into an ocean - can go shallow or deep

Nancy noted "soundtrack" option - multiple layers; have ability to get into other content, tweets, emails, links

Starting and stopping needs to be easy; pausing is important

 

Question about devices and which ones to target

Demo at Van Gogh and Whitney is skewing younger, more likely to come with their own device

Whitney found people are not averse to using their own device

Pompideau (sp) found that 60% of attendee's looked for multimedia, seniors were very satisfied

 

Question about outside applications

Van Gogh created an audio tour in a city to compliment a Max Beckman show

How to translate online to the facility, or to use mobile outside the facility? 

Nancy developed some content for podcast to help outreach for outside the facility.

Questions about how people use the mobile content - discussion about surveys

 

Questions for the breakout session on Friday:

• Who is our audience?
• What is the value of the mobile (like 5 years ago, do i need a website)?
• What is mobile?  Inside, outside?

 

Overall, an excellent discussion!!