Museums and the Web 2001 : Abstract

Archives & Museum Informatics
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Published: March 15, 2001.

Save - So what do you put on your web site?
Joe Cutting , Science Museum, UK
Dave Patten , Science Museum, UK
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Mini-Workshop: Saving your Visit

The Science Museum, London has recently opened the "Welcome Wing", a new extension devoted to contemporary science and technology. A major part of the new wing is a museum developed system called "Save" which allows visitors to create their own web site as a souvenir of their visit.

Many exhibits across the Welcome Wing allow visitors to create something - morph their face, take a picture of their iris or analyze their voice. Save is an exhibit independent system linking these exhibits. It enables visitors to save their creations onto their own souvenir web site. Rather than having to go through a long log-in process every time they want to save an item, the system identifies visitors using their fingerprint. Part of the system is an exhibit that enables visitors to re-design their site in a graphic style of their choice.

At a visitor level Save allows the automatic generation of a personalized web site that acts as a souvenir of their visit. This provides a powerful message about the use of internet and biometric technology to provide a personalized experience.

At an institutional level, Save is a continuation of our desire to explore the way in which the museum communicates with its audience. It provides a new framework by which we can engage our audience in the ongoing debate about science and technology.