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- Summer 2020
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- African Community Education: Enhancing Alumni Engagement
- Audio Journal: Improving Media Access for Audio Journal’s Print Disabled Listeners
- Old Sturbridge Village: Creation and Distribution of Monetized Online Content for Old Sturbridge Village’s Virtual Village
- Worcester Community Action Council (WCAC): Identifying a Work Plan for Creating a Database and Online Platform for Youth Job Opportunities in Worcester
- Worcester Community Project Center: Celebrating 20 Years
- Worcester Red Sox: Persona Development for the Polar Park Mobile Application
- Summer 2019
- Spring 2019
- Creating a Data Collection Tool for Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester
- Friendly House: Developing Comprehensive Recommendations to Improve Thermal Comfort
- I AM Dress for Success Worcester: A Video Campaign
- Quinsigamond Community College: Providing Recommendations for Project-Based Learning Implementations
- Seven Hills Foundation: Facilitating Effective Communication
- Worcester Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): Marketing Campaign for Stigma Free Worcester
- Winter 2019
- Advertising for Advocates: A Project to Bolster Volunteer Recruitment for CASA Worcester County
- Mechanics Hall: Renovation Revival
- Park Spirit of Worcester, Inc.: Evaluating Environmental Justice and Organizational Partnerships for Green Space in Worcester, MA
- Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary: Establishing Engineering in Elementary Instruction
- Fall 2018
- Summer 2018
- Spring 2018
- Abby’s House: An Effective Waste Management Plan for Abby’s House
- Seven Hills Foundation: Assistive Technology Exposition with Planning Guide & Toolkit
- The Boys & Girls Club of Worcester: Developing a STEAM Strategy for the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester
- Worcester Art Museum – Mobile Website
- Worcester Division Of Public Health: Accentuating Accessible Recreation in the Greater Worcester Community
- Winter 2018
- Fall 2017
- Summer 2017
- Spring 2017
- Northborough Composting: A Peri-Urban Land Conflict
- Revealing Worcester’s Hidden Gem: Promoting the East-West Trail
- Seven Hills Foundation: Improving Efficiency for Community Outing Planning
- Worcester Art Museum: Interactive Media in the Medieval Exhibit
- YMCA of Central Massachusetts: Communication at the YMCA
- Winter 2017
- Fall 2016
- Summer 2016
- Spring 2016
- Habitat for Humanity (HFH): Management of Volunteers and Build Sites Using Technology
- Seven Hills Foundation: Increasing the Accessibility of Assistive Technology
- Worcester Art Museum: Engaging the Visitor with Digital Technology
- YMCA of Central Massachusetts: Helping the Y to Further Integrate Newcomer Populations through Community Engagement & Encouragement
- Winter 2016
- Abby’s House: 40th Anniversary Video
- Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester: Marketing and Recruiting College Student Volunteers
- Seven Hills Foundation: Assistive Technology Intervention Process
- Worcester Art Museum: Family Accessibility
- Worcester Regional Food Hub: Profitability of a Commercial Kitchen
- Fall 2015
- Spring 2015
- Winter 2015
- Blackstone Canal District Alliance: Combined Sewer Overflow in the Blackstone Canal
- Dismas House: Micro-Wind Turbine Feasibility Study
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Weight Estimation Method
- Seven Hills Foundation: Assistive Technology Kit
- Shalom Neighborhood Center: Resource Guide for Immigrants and Refugees
- Worcester Art Museum: Renaissance [remastered] Gallery Evaluation
- Fall 2014
- Spring 2014
- Worcester Earn-A-Bike: Creating an Adaptive Bicycle
- Cost Analysis for Implementing MS4 Permit in Towns of Central Massachusetts
- ReStore Volunteers: A ‘Hand Up’ for the Worcester Community
- Worcester Art Museum: Developing Third Spaces
- Worcester Historical Museum: An Interactive Redesign of the Fuller Gallery
- Fall 2013
- Compliance of Central Massachusetts Municipalities with Stormwater Regulations
- Educational and Interactive Miniature Golf Course for Worcester Historical Museum
- Expanding the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition’s catalog of stormwater Best Management Practices
- Marketing and Fundraising with the African Community Education Program
- Phase II MS4 Permit: Improving Central Massachusetts Stormwater Management
- Worcester Art Museum: Creation of a Green Cafe
- Spring 2013
- Winter 2013
- Fall 2012
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Worcester Art Museum Mobile Website: Executive Summary
Museums have been cultural destinations within their communities for centuries. Not only do they provide amazing art, but are places for community interaction. Museums are looking to use interpretive technologies to enhance visitor experience (Hawkey, 2004). Interpretive technology is any technology that helps improve the visitors interaction with the art in the museum. Popular interpretive technologies include iPads, smartphones, and other similar mobile technologies. The Worcester Art Museum (WAM) is looking for ways to improve the visitor experience with the development of interpretive technology (Forgeng J., February 2, 2018, Personal Communication). The project achieved this by following the Mission and Objectives.This project was designed to assist the WAM in improving the visitor interaction with exhibits through the implementation of interpretive technology. To achieve the desired visitor experience the team used the following process:
- Document existing interpretive technologies in the WAM and other museums.
- Brainstorm interpretive technology ideas with the group, sponsor, and other WAM staff
- Assess the insights of WAM curators and other staff to determine how they use interpretive technology, and determine what the technical abilities of the WAM.
- Determine interpretive technology ideas and suggestions for the WAM.
- Decide interpretive technology for the WAM.
- Prototype decided interpretive technology and test with WAM staff and peers.
- Implement decided interpretive technology at the WAM.
The main project outcome was the new WAM Mobile Website (Figure 1). Other deliverables that supported the website were HTML Generating Excel Sheets, How-To Guides, and the WAM Mobile Website Promotional Video. The WAM Mobile Website had three main features:
- Exhibit Viewer
- Audio Tours
- Interactive Map
Figure 1: WAM Mobile Website
The Exhibits page in the website lists all the permanent exhibits in the museum as well as other sections of the building including the library and café. The Audio Tours page on the website takes all of the current audio tours found on the WAM’s existing mp3 players and makes them accessible to the user on their mobile device. Since the audio tours are labeled by number, the user can scroll through and search for the audio they want to listen to. The Interactive Map page gives the user the ability to plan out and personalize their visit to the museum. The map can allow visitors to guide themselves around the museum while inside. Each of the floors can be viewed by pressing a tab with the corresponding name.
The purpose of the HTML Generating Excel Workbook is to allow WAM curators and other staff who may have little to no knowledge about HTML to be able to edit and add information to the website. The Excel Workbook is laid out with an input and output sheet. The staff member will input the data they want added to the website on the input sheet and from the output sheet they will copy and paste the HTML code to the HTML file corresponding to the page they want to change. This easy update method will help keep the website sustainable. Three How-To guides were also created to cater to the sustainability strategy of the mobile website:
- HTML List of Exhibits Guide
- HTML Audio Tours Guide
- iMazing iPad Guide
A humorous promotional video for the mobile website was also created, the purpose of which is to connect especially with high school, college students, and anyone app-inclined in the Worcester area to influence them to visit the museum, and to use the mobile website. The video also shows off the features of the mobile website and how it is navigated. The video will be distributed on the Worcester Art Museum’s website as well as on the project website which can be found on the title page of this report.
Beyond creating the new WAM Mobile Website we left recommendations for its further development including adding new features to the mobile website, further development of current features and improving the sustainability of the mobile website.