Getting It All on Paper
We developed ASK based on the premise (determined by over a year’s worth of pilot projects) that our visitors want to talk about art with us; they want recommendations; and they wanted their questions answered in a personal and dynamic way. But what does that really mean? How does that work in practice? In short, HOW do you facilitate engagement around art via what’s basically text messaging?
Download our ASK team training manual.
Over the course of a very exciting and whirlwind span of about eight months, our ASK team—at the time lead by Monica Marino—searched for answers to that very question. Through experimentation, conversation, a lot of trial-and-error with test groups, and continued examination now that the app is live, we have been able to codify this previously nebulous idea in the form of a training manual (authored by Monica) and through this process better define what ASK is all about. For example, we are able to define the main functions of ASK:
- A tool for engaging with Brooklyn Museum visitors: The primary purpose of the app is to engage visitors with the artwork that they encounter on their visit.
- An on-going experiment and driver of data: Because ASK is the first project of its kind it means that all who are involved will be part of shaping and defining what it is, and how it will be used. Data collection and analysis is inherent in this process.
- A tool for collection research: Creating easily accessible research tools and resources are essential to the ASK project.
We have also determined four engagement goals for the app. We aim to hit at least two with every conversation, and if we hit all four, it feels like we won the lottery (hopefully visitors feel the same way and based on reviews, we think they do!):
- closer looking
- Visitor notices details
- Spends time looking at the object
- deeper exchange with the art object
- Visitor leaves with information they did not have
- Visitor makes their own interpretations about the object
- personal connection with the art object
- Visitor connects with prior knowledge/memory
- Visitor remembers the object (we can’t, of course, measure this! but we can hope for it…)
- making connections to other works in the collection
- Visitor relates the object to another work in collection either on their own, or through our recommendation
Although we have these goals set down, we’re not content to just hum along. As our manual says, ASK is an on-going experiment and we’re always looking for ways to grow and improve. As part of this process, we’ve begun workshops with our Education staff in order to get feedback on ways to improve and ensure that ASK aligns with our overall engagements goals as a Museum.
As part of our first workshop, members of the education staff spent time in the galleries using the app.
The first workshop included having Education staff use the app in the galleries and also answer questions via the dashboard so that have they some context for providing feedback. Our next workshop will delve into the nitty-gritty of engagement, reviewing goals and best practices for engagement that may or may not translate from in-person gallery teaching to the app.
Equally important was time spent on the dashboard where members of the education staff answered questions coming in via the app with help from ASK team members.
As I hinted at at the beginning of this post, Monica is no longer our team lead (though we’re happy she’s still with BKM, just in a different role) and are delighted that Jessica Murphy, previous team member, has taken over that role. You’ll hear from Jessica in our next post about how the ASK team spends their time.
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