Running in the hamster wheel: developing and maintaining an engaging online collections hub

In July 2016, ten new galleries opened at the National Museum of Scotland, celebrating Art, Fashion and Design and Science and Technology. One of the most popular additions was a ‘human hamster wheel’, which allows visitors to generate their own energy by running inside it.

Often, working on a website feels like running in a hamster wheel: the job is never done. In this talk I will look at how the Digital Media team at National Museums Scotland has ‘kept running’ to develop and maintain the award-winning ‘Explore’ section of the website, the online hub of our collections activity which includes games, stories, video and educational resources.

Never has there been more need to keep running, as the digital landscape continues to evolve at a breathless pace. This talk will look at how Explore was redesigned in light of these changes, to meet the needs and interests of our online audience and attract new visitors. The audience will gain key insights into developing an editorial plan and strategy for rich media focussing on three key messages:

1. Design around your audiences
2. Plan effectively with limited resources
3. Keep running – but have an end goal clearly in sight.