We used a building/architecture metaphor with an elevator for one of our pieces
of software on the floor.  People exited at art studios and the metaphor was
building a healthy brain by learning about different mental health issues.  I
prototyped the storyboards.  People seemed to understand the elevator metaphor
to move from floor to floor in the building.  I am not sure they ever got the
art studio parallel--but probably at the time I was just learning how to explore
how people understand an organizing metaphor and didn't follow through as fully
as I could have.  But when we did the summative, I don't think they ever got the
"building a better brain" type idea.

Our original website design, and I suspect many others, was a "virtual visit" to
the museum.  I think what we found, and others, was that a direct parallel was a
good place to start, but didn't make full use of the medium.  Actual visits are
good for actual visits, and there are other things a website can do and that is
the place to focus.

Carey











Farar Elliott <[log in to unmask]> on 10/17/2001 10:58:54 AM

Please respond to Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>








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 cc:      (bcc: Carey Tisdal/SLSC)



 Subject: research question about museum websites








This request is for a librarian friend doing some research on web design and
metaphor.
I am looking for museum websites that use the metaphor of the museum to
guide people through the site.  For example, one might have virtual visitors
press virtual elevator buttons to get to different virtual exhibitions on
one's site.
Has anyone run across museum websites that are doing this well?
Additionally, has anyone run across museum websites that are using some
other metaphor as a guide?

Many, many thanks.

-- Farar Elliott
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