Concept digital strategy on
museum of Chinese in america
Alejandra Garcia
Isabella Deocariza
Xingya Wang
Supervisor: Elena Villaespesa
This concept digital strategy for Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) was written as the final assignment in my Digital Strategy class, fall 2018.
1. Introduction
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The Museum of Chinese in America aims to keep to its mission of making Chinese American history accessible to the general public, and in our ever-growing digital world, MOCA needs a digital strategy to reflect the changes in our environment.
We want to make sure that MOCA’s online presence is an extension of everything that makes the museum unique and an important and valuable resource in our community. The community does not have to end at the door, the online community can become just as important as the physical community around the museum. The museum tells the story of the Chinese American experience, but not only to a Chinese American audience and not just to an audience in New York City. It is the goal of the museum to share the stories of Chinese Americans with everybody who is willing to hear and learn. Increasing the digital presence of MOCA will open up that opportunity to a more broad audience that does not feel limited by their proximity to MOCA.
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2. Mission
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“MOCA’s mission is to celebrate the living history of the Chinese experience in America, to inspire our diverse communities to contribute to America’s evolving cultural narrative and civil society, and to empower and bridge our communities across generations, ethnicities and geography through our dynamic stories.”
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3. Context
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We are constantly connected to some form of digital media in our world, and it is a great way to make sure to try and achieve our goal of making Chinese American history more accessible to the general public. As museum audiences become more and more digitally engaged, museums of every size — and small museums in particular — must keep pace with how audiences communicate and seek information.
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3.1 Movement toward visitor-centered design
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Providing museum visitors with general information is no longer the only expectation of museum websites. As extensions of museums themselves, museum websites are an integral part of the total visitor experience. Spanning from exhibition information, online-only content, and supporting features such as ticketing and reservations, museum websites must be useful and understandable for museum digital audiences and visitors.
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3.2 Online collections as a sector standard
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Online collections are quickly become a great way of letting know researchers you exist and as a way of showing off all the items you have. For a museum like MOCA, that is small and cannot showcase all the items in their collection, online is a great way to do so. With the possibility of not having a limit, it is an invaluable resources to MOCA, which has an extensive collection but small public location.
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3.3 Ubiquity and reach of social media
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Social media is the most direct platform for organizations like MOCA to communicate with their audience. MOCA as a smaller institution has a close relationship with their community and offers a lot of great public programs and events. With a more regular, consistent, bilingual-language updates on their Facebook, Instagram and Youtube Channel, MOCA will have the opportunity to reach out to and engage better with a large group of audience.
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4. Background and Analysis
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4.1 Physical location and access
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Currently MOCA is located at in Chinatown at 215 Centre Street in New York, NY. MOCA’s collection is located 70 Mulberry St., 2nd Fl., also in New York, NY. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11am to 6pm, with the exception of Thursday, when the museum is open until 9pm. The first Thursday of each month is free to the public, while the standard general admission price is $10. (For seniors, students, military, educators, and children it is $7). The museum is wheelchair accessible.
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4.2 Strengths and challenges
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The biggest strengths that MOCA has is to do with their presence in the community. They do many public programs a month, about 6, and they are very well supported in the community through members of the community that know about them. The Museum of Chinese in America also has an extensive collection of materials that have to do with history of Chinese-Americans that is available for research.
Many of the challenges, however, have to do with the small and scope of the museum. Of course because the museum is limited in terms of size and money, there are many areas in which the museum has not prioritized, such as their social media presence, having their collections be easily accessible online, and just a lack of digital media.
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4.3 Online presence
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4.3.1 MOCA website
MOCA’s website provides essential information to visitors, including exhibition and events information in addition to basic contact information. Its redesign in 2015 introduced the beautiful visual identity associated with the museum today. The visual identity, marked by its earthy colors and minimalist sensibility, was developed on the basis of Maya Lin’s architectural design of MOCA’s physical location and was intended to extend across channels.
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4.3.2 Online collection
Currently MOCA has collection of 65,000 materials on premise, they started to add their collections to their website in 2013 and it has been a slow process, but they have a great online collection of items that pertain to Chinese-American history. They have an online finding aid for their archives, a collections database for items, and an oral history repository all available online. Unfortunately one asset they have, a genealogical database is not currently available online and is only available on site.
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4.3.3 Social Media
MOCA is currently on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Youtube, Instagram and WeChat. At the moment, Facebook is MOCA’s most successful and active social media platform with the most followers and the most informative content. Our Facebook page has almost 10,000 followers and Instagram has almost 4,000 followers and they’re growing, but we definitely have a lot of potential in case of using social media more extensively to promote our brand and engage with our audience. Right now, without a designated social media strategy, our social media content does not have a systematic format and we think there are much more content we can present to our audience.
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5. Goals
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5.1 Improve the online experience for existing and potential audiences
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Museum websites are where the majority of museum visitor journeys begin. Not only is the tone of the overall visitor experience largely set by the quality of the initial online experience, the website is the digital face of the museum brand. Establishing standards of consistency and usefulness is crucial to best serve the public and represent the museum on digital platforms.
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5.1.1 Consistent brand experience
The brand identity developed for MOCA is clean, contemporary, and visually uncomplicated.
Print example of MOCA’s brand identity by Pentagram design studio (2015).
New, scalable layouts for website content will be developed and implemented to maintain this aesthetic across physical (e.g. print) and digital channels, as well as maximize understandability across desktop and mobile digital platforms.
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5.1.2 Streamlined visit planning
Online visit planning is often the beginning of not only a visitor’s experience with the museum, but their relationship with the museum as a brand. Making visit-planning as convenient and pleasant as possible is a visitor-centered priority.
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5.1.2.1 Online admission purchasing
The purchase of museum admission tickets online is currently tied to the website’s events calendar, displaying “Daily Museum Admission” as an event occuring on each applicable day. To simplify the transaction process of online ticket purchasing, a separate page for admissions transactions will be created.
Purchasing admission online begins with selecting the “Daily Museum Admission” event for the day of your intended visit.
5.1.2.2 Events calendar
The events calendar, separated from the admissions purchasing function, will be redesigned for improved legibility. To account for the needs of various audiences, filters will be added to view events by their audience or type (e.g. “adults” or “family;” “lecture” or “walking tour”).
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5.1.2.3 Tour group reservation system
Tour groups of different kinds currently follow separate reservation processes outsourced to external web services. A single web application for booking tours through a locally managed database will be developed to consolidate the booking process.
In addition to centrally storing reservation information for museum staff, this will eliminate the need for users planning their visits to leave the MOCA website or create accounts with third-parties. To streamline future reservations, the reservation system will be integrated with the existing MOCA online account database where contact information can be saved rather than constantly re-entered. This feature would particularly benefit educators who frequently book student tours.
MOCA’s student tour booking page
Time slot selection
Required login credentials to reserve time slot
5.1.3 Website findability and accessibility
The findability and accessibility of the website will be improved by revising website code into a consistent hierarchy, updating content to reflect current web accessibility standards, and providing multiple language options.
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5.2 Improve accessibility of MOCA’s online collections
MOCA’s online collection will undergo a change to the entire way the museum presents its collections online. MOCA’s collection is by far and away one of the museum’s biggest asset, which the museum should make more mention of. Currently it has an ArchivesSpace for its archives, and it has finding aids for researchers to ideally help them find what they are looking for. For its artifacts, photographs, and library items, such as books, they use PastPerfect as its Collections Database. MOCA also has a collection of oral histories available online using Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS). And they are available using SoundCloud.
The Museum of Chinese in America has a collection of over 65,000 artifacts, photos, memorabilia, documents, oral histories, and art work, it is what the museum was founded on. A project trying to make sure that the stories and histories of Chinese-Americans were preserved. And today it has an extensive collection that dates back to the 19th century all the way to today. The museum needs to make sure to showcase their greatest asset.
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5.2.1 Target Audience
While MOCA wants to make sure to share the history of Chinese Americans with everyone, our target audience will be researchers, educators, and genealogists.
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5.2.2 Archives
Starting with the MOCA’s archives on ArchivesSpace, while it does clearly mark the name of the collections, it only has a small description about what is in each of the collections. While it is a good starting point, there are other museums that are a lot more detailed in their finding aids to let researchers know from the beginning what exactly is in each collection. From file folder names,to at least a listing of what newspapers are found in a collection, instead of just “newspaper clippings”. Some collections are more detailed than others.
Whenever there are materials in a collection that can be found in PastPerfect or OHMS online, it seems as though there is a link to that material on ArchivesSpace, but it is not actually linked at this current moment in time.
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5.2.2.1 Plan for Archives
For the ArchivesSpace, there would be a format to follow for every collection, the same information would be required, similar to required elements in a collections database.
If there is material that can be linked from PastPerfect or OHMS, it will be linked in the ArchivesSpace for easier access for future researchers.
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Collections search result labels appear as accession numbers, “View Full Record,” and rarely, titles.
Collections item record details page
5.2.3.1 Plan for Collections Database
Build a easier to use keyword search. Make item titles (if available) the labels for search results on PastPerfect for the user. While a unique identifier is important, for an average person, it means nothing.
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5.2.4 Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS)
The OHMS is a wonderful and unique resource to MOCA. Some issues are just the fact that there seem to be no transcripts for the interviews available online, and there are no translations for the entire interviews either.
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5.2.4.1 Plan for OHMS
Transcribe the videos. Translate the video to Chinese and think about other languages as well. Make sure all the information is accurate and up to date.
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5.2.5 Genealogical database
Currently the genealogical database only is accessible on-site. Since genealogists are one of the target audiences, moving the genealogical database online would ideally attract them to come to MOCA, either in person or online.
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5.3 Build relationships with new and existing audiences through social media
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MOCA has employed various social media platforms, but there’s a need for a more systematic post format, more regular post dates, and more informative and engaging content. To be more concise, we aim to:
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further interact with our current audiences
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approach to and engage potential audience, especially NYC residents
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engage with Chinese-speaking audience
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promote MOCA’s public programs and events
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distribute more of MOCA’s collection
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further develop MOCA’s brand awareness
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make Facebook and Instagram as our social media frontier
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use WeChat to better communicate with Chinese tourists and international students
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6. Action Plan
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6.1 Website optimization
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Design and test responsive layout design for website content
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Implementation of finalized responsive layout design
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Update and maintain SEO optimization and accessibility compliance
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6.2 Changes to online transaction processes and transaction database
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Preliminary research for database design to accommodate transaction process changes
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Preliminary design of database integrating / linking user account credentials, admissions purchasing, ticketed events purchasing, and tour reservations
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Preliminary design of database-driven front end web applications for admissions purchasing, events calendar, and tour reservations
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Testing and revision of preliminary designs
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Final development and implementation of final database changes and front-end transaction web applications
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Maintenance of database and front-end transaction web applications
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6.3 Improving the online collection
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Updating the ArchivesSpace
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Redesigning the online collection
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Reviewing and writing transcripts for the Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS)
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Moving the genealogical database online
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6.4 Social media development and initiatives
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6.4.1 Instagram Initiatives
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Switch to Instagram business account (if hasn't)
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Enrich the post content
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Define a few post themes. For instance, MOCA’s instagram page has a certain amount of posts featuring historical figures. MOCA could make historical Chinese American figures as a theme of their regular posts.
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Include more of MOCA’s collection into the posts.
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Post about the events and public programs a week before, with information including date and time, locations, speakers, what it’s about, and a link to the reservation page.
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Use Instagram Story to update audience with events and public programs.
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Post about the events and public programs the day after.
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​Make posts more regularly.
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Make more posts. Make around five posts a week.
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Post different themed content on different weekdays regularly. For example, post about historical Chinese American figures every Tuesday.
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​Systematize post format
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Create certain hashtags for each themed content and use those hashtags consistently. For instance, use #HistoricalFigureTuesday at the end of all of the historical figures related posts.
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Decide on a hashtag for MOCA and use it after each post. For instance, it could be #MOCAnyc.
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Include three to five relative or trending hashtags after each post.
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Make every post bilingual, started with English and followed by Chinese translation.
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Geotag MOCA’s physical location for every post.
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​Engage with audience
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Like/repost posts randomly made by visitors who mentioned MOCA, geotagged MOCA, or used MOCA related hashtags.
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Like/reply audience’s comments randomly.
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Take/post pictures (with consent) of visitors during their visit or attending events/public programs and tag them.
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Encourage people to follow MOCA on Instagram during events and public programs. ​
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6.4.2 Other Social Media Platforms Initiatives
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Facebook
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Sync post content/format with Instagram as mentioned.
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Make bilingual posts, started with English and followed by Chinese.
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Use certain hashtags and use them continually.
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Invite followers to ask questions and give them answers.
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Make more videos of events and public programs and put them on Facebook.
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Use Facebook Insights to schedule posts when our audience are most online.
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Use Facebook to “Boost” posts to reach a larger audience.
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​YouTube
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Update the homepage video at least yearly.
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Upload videos of events and public programs that will also be posted on Facebook and MOCA website.
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Use End Cards with links to MOCA events pages.
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Put link to MOCA website and events pages in video description.
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​WeChat
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Publish articles about certain content, for example introduction about upcoming/current exhibitions, featured historical Chinese American figures, preview/review of events/public programs.
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Publish articles in Chinese.
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Publish at least one article per week.
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Make MOCA WeChat QR code and account id noticeable in museum's physical location, Facebook page and on Instagram.
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Encourage people to follow MOCA on WeChat during events and public programs.
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7. Evaluation
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7. 1 MOCA website
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7.1.1 Optimization. accessibility, and usability
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To ensure steady progress and consistent maintenance of SEO, accessibility, and usability standards, Communications and Development will review all new website content prior to committing it to the website.
Content will be evaluated with an in-house SEO scorecard and using the W3C Website Accessibility Evaluation Report Generator.
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SEO Criteria, Score 1 (poor) — 5 (excellent)
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Document meta description
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Document title element
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Valid hreflang
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Valid rel=canonical
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Legibility
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Use of plugins
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Descriptive text for links and images
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HTTP status code
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Data format for search engine indexing
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7.1.2 Qualitative usability feedback
Qualitative feedback gathered during design and testing periods will be referenced and used to determine areas of interest and improvement.
Additionally, annual remote user testing will be conducted to gather qualitative user feedback about areas previously identified as areas of interest or target areas for improvement. This feedback will inform ongoing and future improvements of the website design.
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7.1.3 Webpage traffic
Webpage traffic will be continuously monitored using Google Analytics for patterns of discovery and engagement by Communications and Development.
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7.2 Online Collection
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An evaluation of MOCA’s online collection will be monitored through Google Analytics, assuming that is currently being used on those pages and we have data to compare it to. Whenever researchers or anybody else wants to use the resources available at the museum, they will be asked if they looked at anything online and if they thought it was helpful and if there are any areas of possible improvement.
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7.2.1 ArchivesSpace
It will be hard to measure whether or not it became more helpful for researchers to have items from PastPerfect and OHMS, but we will simply have to rely on researchers answering a possible survey on how helpful it is and even have a heatmap to see how many people on those pages click on the linked material.
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7.2.2 PastPerfect
Once more, surveys will have to be the best way of seeing if there is a marked improvement to how anyone is able to find items using the search function. Since this project is ongoing, there is also always feedback that will be collected and analyzed to see if there is something to consider if multiple users keep having the same problems with the collections database. There also just is a set goal of having at least 5% of all items in the collection have titles, or at least have titles be what comes up on for the user within the first 6 months that this project is started.
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7.2.3 Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS)
While we do want more people to listen to the interviews that MOCA has created, it is not the main focus of our plan for OHMS. Our evaluation for this will be simple, just have people listen to the interviews and follow along with the transcripts that will be available. For the translations, we would have a bilingual person who could listen to the interview and read along (at their own pace) the translation to see if it makes sense and if the meaning is still the same.
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7.2.4 Genealogical Database
Since at the moment, the only way to access the genealogical database is onsite, it will be difficult to measure success in an analytical way. We will have goals we want to hit of how much of the database we want to have online by a certain date, as shown in the timeline above, but it will really always be updating.
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7.3 Social Media
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A monthly report will be developed and discussed about the statistics on social media platforms. Seasonal and yearly reports will also be needed. In this way, we can better monitor how we’re doing with social media, and develop a more in-depth understanding about who our audience are, what they are interested in, and what they’d like to learn from our platforms.
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7.3.1 Tools
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Instagram Insights
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Page Insights offered by Facebook
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Youtube Insight
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Supermetrics
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7.3.2 Metrics
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Instagram (see more on Instagram insights page)
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The number of accounts that started following us
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Likes
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Comments
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How many people see our content and where they find it.
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The number of times our posts and stories were on-screen.
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The number of unique accounts who viewed our posts and stories
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The actions people take when they engage with our account. This can include Website Clicks or Profile Visits.
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Website Clicks: The number of clicks to links in our business profile description
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Profile Visits: The number of times an account clicks on our username (to visit your profile)
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The number of unique accounts that saved our post
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Percent of accounts that saw our post and aren't following us
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The total number of times our post has been seen from a particular surface, including Home, Search and Explore, Profile, Location, Hashtags
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Insights about Instagram Stories
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Count of posts that have mentioned MOCA
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Count of posts that have Geotagged MOCA
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Count of posts that have used our hashtags
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Facebook (see more on Facebook insights page)
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Page Likes
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Post Reach
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Engagement: Total number of unique people who engaged with our Page, as well as different engagement types
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Pages to Watch: See Facebook page run by similar institutions
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Page Likes: The total Page likes for each day, over a 28-day period
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Net Likes: The number of new likes minus the number of unlikes
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Where Page Likes Happened: The number of times our Page was liked, broken down by where it happened
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Post Reach: The number of people our post was served to, broken down by paid and organic reach
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Likes, comments and shares
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Hide, Report as Spam and Unlikes
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Total Reach: The number of people who were served any activity from your Page
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When Fans Are Online: Shows when the people who like your Page are on Facebook content
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Posts Type: Displays the success of different post types based on average reach and engagement
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Video Views: Number of times Page's videos were viewed for 3 seconds or more
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30-Second Views: Number of times Page's videos were viewed for 30 seconds or more.
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Top Videos: Most viewed videos on Page watched for 3 seconds or more.
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Your Fans: View the gender, age, location and language of the people who like our Page
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People Reached: See the people our post was served to in the past 28 days
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People Engaged: Find out who has liked, commented on, shared our posts or engaged with your Page in the past 28 days.
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INFO-683: Museum Digital Strategy
Fall 2018
Pratt Institute