Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Family Mobile Guide Front-End Report

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art's Mobile Guide program will offer visitors a new way to interact with the Museum's collections by creating audio and visual content that will be delivered through a mobile-optimized Web site (www.naguide.org). The program, available through a user's own mobile device or via iPod Touch players made available, reflects the Museum's commitment to digital interpretation and its larger goal of broadening public accessibility to its collections. This evaluation is part of the larger Mobile Guide project funded through an Engaging Communities grant awarded from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In November 2011, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (NAMA) contracted with the Institute for Learning Innovation to conduct evaluation relative to the development and implementation of its Family Mobile Guide. Findings in the present front-end study address the question of what kinds of assets or features (such as games, interviews with experts, videos demonstrating an artistic process) family audiences prefer, and what kinds of assets are likely to yield the most engaging and meaningful experiences for them. Data were gathered from 19 parents recruited by NAMA staff through an in-depth online questionnaire that included links to online example content. Findings are informing the development of rich mobile experiences for families visiting the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. In the questionnaire, parents were asked to rank, rate, and respond to a variety of potential content and asset types. In developing the questionnaire, the researcher reviewed and compiled existing categories of mobile content offered at museums of all varieties. NAMA staff members responded to the categories and examples, considering their own vision for the mobile guide and their resources. Examples used in the questionnaire were drawn from this document. Parents were asked to respond to the examples from three perspectives: their own personal preferences, their preferences as a parent, and what they imagine their children would prefer. Parents shared positive and enthusiastic responses to the overall concept. They expressed a strong interest in hearing the artist's perspective in a mobile guide for families. They would like to hear the artist's thoughts about the work of art, see them at work creating it or something similar, and want to understand their process. This is of personal interest to them, but they also believe it would help inspire their children's creativity. In fact, parents value any content they perceive to have the potential to inspire creativity in their children. They want to provide their children with glimpses into the artistic process, including the deliberate decisions artists make and the way they change their minds. They want their children to connect with artists and ultimately be able to imagine themselves as artists. Parents also expressed a strong interest in the inclusion of opportunities to see an object used in its original context, with the example given of an African mask being danced. While parents felt that hearing an expert or curatorial perspective would be useful, they had many concerns whether it could be made engaging for their children. Parents were confident that children will be interested in sharing their own responses, but were less sure about whether it would be appealing to their children to listen to the responses of others. A number of comments from parents pointed to a desire for help in facilitating experiences for their children. Additionally, in many cases clear distinctions emerged between parents' personal preferences, their desires for their children, and their perceptions of what appeals to their children. This points to a need for ongoing clarification about audience, and whether specific content is being designed for: 1) multigenerational family audiences (which appeals to multiple age groups and supports dialogue and shared discovery); 2) parents who will facilitate the experience of the mobile guide; 3) children (with content they can access directly and without facilitation); or 4) a combination of some or all of the above. This report includes a copy of the online questionnaire used in the study.

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