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Guest Post by Nina Simon -- Self-Expression is Overrated: Better Constraints Make Better Participatory Experiences

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

Submitted by Nina Simon, publisher of Museum 2.0. I’ve had it with museums’ obsession with open-ended self-expression. When I talk about designing participatory experiences, I often show the above graphic from Forrester Research. And yet many museums are fixated on creators. This is a problem for two reasons.

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Self-Expression is Overrated: Better Constraints Make Better Participatory Experiences

Museum 2.0

I’ve had it with museums’ obsession with open-ended self-expression. When I talk about designing participatory experiences, I often show the above graphic from Forrester Research. There are so many more people who join social networks, who collect and aggregate favored content, and critique and rate books and movies.

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Visiting the Smithsonian On Vacation

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

My kids, who had been introduced to the Smithsonian through the popular movie “Night at the Smithsonian&# were excited too. There were a number of online/offline participatory visitor experiences. At the Natural History Museum, we visited the David H. At the Museum of American History, we visited the First Ladies Exhibit.

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Responsiveness is the Most Important Part of Participation

Museum 2.0

There are many participatory kiosks that are functional black holes--visitors make videos or draw pictures or write stories, drop them in a slot, and. There are many participatory kiosks that are functional black holes--visitors make videos or draw pictures or write stories, drop them in a slot, and. nothing happens. nothing happens.

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Want to Activate Public Space? We're Hiring. And Some Thoughts on Iteration and Temporary Positions

Museum 2.0

For the past two years, I''ve been working on a project to activate the concrete space adjacent to our museum as a vibrant, community plaza. The ideal candidate has a good grasp of our local artistic assets in Santa Cruz County, a knack for participatory placemaking, and enthusiasm about putting on a show. multiple times per week.

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Why Museums Should Become Sites for Civic Discourse

Museum 2.0

Thank you to Susan Spero and all the folks at JFKU and Left Coast Press for starting a highly stimulating conversation this weekend at the colloquium on Museums and Civic Discourse. There were, as we say in the museum business, some good aha moments. What role should museums play in promoting discourse?

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Designing Recommendation Systems that Go Beyond "You'll Like This"

Museum 2.0

How would you design a recommendation system for a museum? When it comes to museums, recommendation systems are a natural solution for the problem of the customized tour. When it comes to museums, recommendation systems are a natural solution for the problem of the customized tour.

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