In this case, I would like to focus on creating the new data discipline, as I think its a fine example of my development at Louisiana Learning. This is besides navigating with original created digital content on a museum with great historically affection and an established style guide and vision to match.
Working with art educators, I found they due to their field have less understanding of web and IT. I feel this is an “of course”, as they are heavily focussing on educating and communicating art, although they are a known to what problem that can be solved with knowledge to digital media and design – eg. creating a better data discipline, as they found they used too much time on finding their documents, pictures, older versions of pdfs, etc. on their internal server. This was a challenge for me: reduce frustration and ease workflow so they can focus on what they do best: educate art.
Creating data discipline at Louisiana Learning and maintaining web site
Year: Since 2014
Work-work: Web and IT help and maintenance
My role: Photography, video, data discipline, ad hoc
Louisiana Learning focuses on common wondering, discussions and experiments – facilitating creativity in practice in the meeting of the museum’s art and the museum as space for free activity. In a department with art educators I have been part helping communicating new offers through conceptual videos and photography. Furthermore, I have – inspired by media ethnography – mapped out intern workflow and data structure to create a new data discipline.
Challenge
Process
I approached the challenge inspired both human-centered and by media ethnography: I interviewed them in terms of their workflow, both in groups and one-on-one. I held a workshop, where we could co-create ideas for new folder structures and to inspire for common discussion. What does this folder contain? What should the taxonomy be? How can we make it easy access? Also I went through all the documents to examine how documents developed in versions, where they were put and so forth.
Learnings
I wanted the new data structure to reflect workflow and here the human-centered approach was helpful. Also, I wanted to create a new data discipline – changeing the way it has been done before. During this process, I found that communicating progress, I had to utilize metaphors in order for my colleagues to follow and understand how far we were. I used the metaphor of moving their “stuff” from a basement (with no light to see whats really down there) to a brand new house, where everything put inside the house is data (documents, pictures, pdfs, etc), and the house itself is the server. Kitchen-utensils goes to the kitchen, books goes to the library, etc. This was a very helpful way for me to tell them how far we were, also in the case if I needed to both motivate and ask them about something, as it could be a pretty overwhelming mess for them.
