>How many of you designed your Web sites in-house? Was it expensive? We
>are contemplating a re-design of our Web page. If we decided to do this
>in-house, which Web page software would you recommend? I've got lots of
>questions for a newbie. Please respond off the list. Thanks!
>
>Olivia S. Anastasiadis
>Curator
>Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
I'd be interested in hearing other responses to this ON-list. The
Williamson Gallery site was designed in-house by me, as a continuing labor
of love -- so not too much expense. For sites with a lot of pages (ours
has over one hundred, so far), or that will someday have lots of pages, I
do not recommend using WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) web authoring
software. They often write unclean HTML that can make future changes or
updates very difficult. Find someone who knows HTML and uses BBEdit or
another good editor.
If you are contemplating a moderate to large site that will continue to
grow and be a lively and current reflection of the museum, then I think
in-house is better than taking it outside. This means you might have to
hire somebody, but think about this -- in the next few years, if not now,
your online audience will be much greater in numbers than the one visiting
the physical gallery. At the same time, the more people who see and get
turned-on by your website, the greater the number of people who will decide
to visit in person. It's win-win.
Websites will soon spill over into physical space, with the distinction
between the two becoming blurred. This technology offers many untapped
possibilities both online and off, and before too long debates over whether
or not to commit resources to a fully integrated website will no longer
exist. They'll be considered as essential a part of each museum's mission
as the physical space, and I wouldn't be surprised if museums have special
curators, just for their web offerings.
Stephen Nowlin
Vice President, Director, Williamson Gallery
Art Center College of Design
1700 Lida Street
Pasadena, CA 91103 USA (818)396-2397 fax (818)405-9104 [log in to unmask]
Williamson Gallery website:
http://www.artcenter.edu/exhibit/williamson.html
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