Developing the Artist's Studio Museum Network website

FARM Digital specialises in web design, development and strategy for charities and cultural institutions. In this blog, the agency discusses digital resilience in the sector and how it supported in the relaunch of the Artist's Studio website.

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The pace of change in the Digital Age is at an all time high and it's not set to slow down. Industries across the globe are being affected by changing customer expectations and cultural institutions are no different. With a rise in mobile channels and digital innovation changing many of our day-to-day interactions, we are becoming accustomed to the life that 'digital transformation' provides us with.

Cultural institutions face new challenges and to evolve in an already diluted sector, they must consider digital technology at the core of their strategy. Take art galleries for example; a simple search online will provide a user with digital copies of art at their fingertips and new, younger audiences may be satisfied with just that. So, how do you drive people to actually visit museums and galleries? Deeper audience understanding and engagement is crucial to get people through the door and a carefully-considered digital presence plays a key role in this.

At FARM Digital we specialise in cause-related digital transformation and work with leading cultural institutions and non-profits to reimagine their digital strategies. By taking a holistic view, we provide a thorough understanding of the impact digital can have, the practical challenges it brings with it and the tools you need to integrate it.

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"Operating models should embrace digital at its core to change the culture of an organisation."

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There are many stages to developing a digital strategy and all too often organisations embark on developing a website with little consideration for their overall objectives and operating model. It is this operating model that should embrace digital at its core to change the culture of an organisation; opening it up to the adoption of innovation much quicker. A scalable digital strategy can grow your audience, visitors, donations and brand reputation.

We worked with the Artist's Studio Museum Network to develop the new website. The Artist's Studio Museum Network was originally launched back in 2015, with a goal of bringing together a community of museums online. Today, the network has grown to more than 150 museums which demonstrates the growth and worth of a digital network.

The purpose of the website was to create a directory of cultural institutions across the world, easily filterable and ultimately encouraging visits and footfall to each museum. By developing a one-stop-shop style directory, it aims to appeal to a variety of audiences; from seasoned art enthusiasts to those curious to find out more. Each museum has its own profile page to promote its exhibitions, as well as supporting images, videos and resources. An integration with Google maps allows the user to easily plan their visit with useful information such as opening times.

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"By developing a one-stop-shop style directory, it aims to appeal to a variety of audiences; from seasoned art enthusiasts to those curious to find out more."

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Most recently, we were commissioned to complete updates to the website including showcasing exhibitions for each museum, a modernised design, predictive search and Google translate. The aim was to make it as easy as possible for locals and tourists alike to visit the museums and enjoy art first-hand.

Embracing digital certainly starts with a user-friendly website and SEO strategy, however, new technologies open a world of smart opportunities. For example, in 2013, the Louvre in Paris, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, used Bluetooth technology to track visitor movements around the gallery to alleviate congestion by identifying popular exhibitions and peak traffic times.

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"Successful cultural institutions view digital transformation at an organisational level and weave its benefits into multiple layers of the organisation."

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Successful cultural institutions view digital transformation at an organisational level and weave its benefits into multiple layers of the organisation. It's no secret that the sector is both resource and time poor. Even some of the largest charities in the UK are weighed down by manual processes, in multiple departments, due to archaic infrastructures. Automating membership models, expense claims, ticket sales and signup forms can significantly reduce administration headache. These are just a handful of the small changes that mean more time can be spent contributing to your organisation's mission and, therefore, drive direct impact on your end users.

These changes don't happen overnight but, in our experience, the nonprofit sector and cultural institutions are often the organisations that benefit the most from opening the digital floodgates.

Our consultancy services help organisations navigate the digital transformation journey. Contact us today if you'd like to find out more hello@wearefarm.com