Application of the Design Process

Part 2 of 3

Factors for the Online Revisionist Museum

Looking at the other application of new museology in professional and personal practice it came to a consideration to search for artifacts that are nearer to the interest of smaller and fragmented social groups. These artifacts may not have the prestigious cultural production and grand history of developmental design, it may be contemporary day by day items that have directly incorporated into everyday lives of the modern citizen.

Apart from the selection of everyday artifacts of cultural production, it came to account the facilitation of online museums. Rather than going for an online approach for an extension of marketing, a lure for potential visitors, the online medium can now be the host to replace the physical representation. Though the initial direction of the online museum websites can be additional modes of marketing to attract the potential visitors into their public spaces, there is also the access of visiting such venues due to demographical and regional constraints. Not everyone in the 3^rd world can afford a trip to Germany to view its many history and art museums, such as the Pergamon Museum of Berlin and the German Museum at Munich.

These online mediums can host a number of interactive layouts that can give a new sensory experience that can be near or at par with a real visit in a physical space. With the development of CGI (computer graphics), optimized imaging and real time interactivity in web browsers and applications, an online viewer can have the same visual appeal and maybe more, to receive an experience.

However, such facilitation cannot be all that free. The physical cost of providing space, is comparatively huge to an online domain and hosting, yet it still needs financial sustainability for its viewing content. For physical museums, incurring such costs is a given and minute relative to online development and content hosting, which they can derive revenue from ticket sales from various events. The new online museums have to have new channels to gather revenue from their niche community.

Finally the administration and proprietorship of the museum, unhampered by legal, social and financial constraints can allow even individuals to own and curate their own selections of artifacts. It is now possible since artifacts need not be valuable but still incur some cultural value to interest groups, an individual with the practice of selection, curation and exhibition can create their own online museums to showcase its collection. Such historical change, from the rich and elite stakeholders, to museum administrators and states, and now to individuals allow the content of cultural production to proliferate in an increased degree.

Museum of Online Museums

Coming across the documentary of museums of online museums, there is evidence of the development of such direction already existing. Here we have independent collectors, who have unique curation for contemporary artifacts, which can be viewed as special or bizarre. The documentary is a three-part series, produced by the Coudal Partners and Board of Directors of the Museum of Online museums and directed by Collection Director Kevin Gulfoile, The Curators focuses on these individual collectors and the artifacts they collected.

These online museums carry everday artifacts classified and collected in varies spectrum of cultural and social significance. The “Museum of Useful Things” as an example, showcases a collection of items and artifacts clustered by the range of different functions and the beauty of it. Classifications of functions include artifacts that affirm, carry, clean, hold, measure, organize, read and write, and assist. This online museum doesn’t hold the illusion of grandeur, nor its biases to social domination nor its biases to elite of upper class, more of modern items grouped or selected for their purpose, structure, design, value, history and distinction.

Another museum, “Plan59” emphasizes on a collection of graphics and prints for mid century works, ranging designs and motifs from 1950-1960. Though the collection is updated to be a mix of digital and traditional contemporary works, what is exhibited is the specific aesthetics and art form practiced for that particular era. The finish, choice of color, the angles and even the selection of objects in question has a specific range of design, distinct to that era but retroactively reintroduced to the modern public thru an online channel.

One might wonder for the revenue streams for such online museums and its sustainability. Some of these online museums gain revenue not from the sponsored “web hits” or direct visit sales, but the supplementary mediums that further affirms the interest of the viewer. Coffee Table books, Catalogs, Storage and archival devices and tools, classification ranges are all supplementary mediums that earn revenue for the online exhibits. Rather than charging fees to the visits, these museum charge cost to those who want to increase their interest to the showcased artifact, having them purchase special items, acquire storage for similar artifacts, printed collaterals and other indirect forms of revenue to sustain their online operations.

Tracing a Frame work

Studying the conduction of how the revisionist paradigm of museum are made and applying it to online content and approaches, there could be conclusion to the different aspects or areas that would lead to its conduction and nature. The following will list these areas, either as a distinct characteristic or a competitive advantage versus to physical or brick and mortar museums.

1. Showcase of Contemporary Everyday Collections

Artifacts given emphasis are of everyday nature, can be overlooked pieces of varied monetary value but given relative perceived significance to the collection. Artifacts may not be expensive or extravagant as long as its classification and viewer affirmation is realized.

2. Individualistic Artistic Conduction and Proprietorship

Small groups or even individuals manage the exhibit of online collections, carrying the tedium of classification, acquisition, display and archive of work. Proprietary ownership can be shared or individual.

3. Indirect Revenue Channels

The online sites have indirect modes to earn revenue to achieve sustainability. The can incorporate supplemental material such as coffee table books, collection kits, artifact or collection auctions to gain revenue for their operations.

4. Niche or Captured Market Base

The sites have a steady group of followers who loyally follow the updates of the online showcases, even an online community to continue the affirmation to the showcased collection. Channels can be tapped for revenue earning and events conduction.

5. Online Showcase Facilities

Site employs varied mode of interactivity and dynamism to view the showcases online. Flash, Web 2.0, even mobile developed applications can be tapped for the viewers online.

These five characteristics are observed common distinct properties for the online museum though may not be confined to such. There might be more properties that govern as characteristics for such, however citing to personal study, these are the properties that are leaning towards the revisionist museum context.