View Larger ImageBklynMuse: Remixing the Gallery Experience with a Mobile Guide Powered by People 
BklynMuse is a mobile web app that engages visitors with a community-powered recommendation system for the objects on display in the Brooklyn Museum galleries. As visitors move through our galleries, they can use their mobile device to recommend objects to other visitors. Based on the recommendations each visitor gives it, this muse will crunch the collective data and present suggestions as the user moves from room to room. The guide also gives access to our cell-phone audio stops and our YouTube videos, but the real power in the device comes from visitors sharing their own takes in our galleries. Essentially, BklynMuse is an ever-changing, Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-style gallery guide designed to complement the more structured museum experience.
This is one of a series of things we have implemented to bridge both the online experience with the in-person visit and it is a next step in the development of the online presence we created for our collection last year, which won a 2008 Groundswell Award (http://tinyurl.com/bklynaward08). In the case of BklynMuse, Posse members (http://tinyurl.com/bklyn1) get their recommendations saved to their profiles for future reference—think of it as bookmarking your favs on the go in the gallery and then being able to access them later (http://tinyurl.com/bklyn2). In addition, using our collection online, Posse members can create sets of objects (http://tinyurl.com/bklyn3) and annotate them—when they come into the gallery and start using BklynMuse their sets will be right there waiting for them on the device. Those same sets can be shared and featured for other visitors, so the visitor's voice may be highlighted for all to see.
Through the aggregation of data provided by many visitors and their individual tastes, the guide is designed to grow more intelligent as more visitors use it and more data is supplied. Eventually, the data generated by visitors using the guide in-house will be exported back into the collection online to form a recommendation system on the Brooklyn Museum Web site.
The mission of the Brooklyn Museum is to act as a bridge between the rich artistic heritage of world cultures, as embodied in its collections, and the unique experience of each visitor. Dedicated to the primacy of the visitor experience, committed to excellence in every aspect of its collections and programs, and drawing on both new and traditional tools of communication, interpretation, and presentation, the Museum aims to serve its diverse public as a dynamic, innovative, and welcoming center for learning through the visual arts.
Our mission carries forth from our Director, Arnold Lehman, to our exhibitions, programs, and services, and through our Web site. Conscious of this community-oriented mission we aim to further engage our current on-line audiences and simultaneously grow an interactive Web community. The museum is committed community participation (both physical and online) and we aim to offer content that people care about, creating a platform for discussion, listening to what visitors have to say and responding.
BklynMuse works within these goals to share the visitor experience directly with other visitors, allowing them ownership over content and recognition for their contributions.
August 2009 to present
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Reviews
Great app from Brooklyn Museum.......
Reviewed October 13, 2009 by Rebecca Krause-Hardie
Great app from Brooklyn Museum.... leading the way in community engagement.
Report Inappropriate Review As always, Brooklyn leaps ahead...
Reviewed September 23, 2009 by nrd
As always, Brooklyn leaps ahead to take the social part of social media to the next level. Sweet!
Report Inappropriate Review Great idea mixing art and technology....
Reviewed September 17, 2009 by Dbme
Great idea mixing art and technology. Can't wait to try it!
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Super cool idea. Who hasn't gone...
Reviewed September 10, 2009 by JMiller
Super cool idea. Who hasn't gone to a museum and wanted to share our opinions, likes, and favorites.
Report Inappropriate Review This is an extraordinary example...
Reviewed September 4, 2009 by Len Steinbach
This is an extraordinary example of public sharing and community empowerment by an institution that is essentially held in the public trust by an institution that takes this trust seriously. From a business perspective, this is great marketing on many lev
Report Inappropriate Review Another awesome visitor-focused...
Reviewed September 4, 2009 by Pamela Lovis
Another awesome visitor-focused innovative project from Brooklyn Museum aimed at getting participation from their communities.
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The Brooklyn Musuem is a leader...
Reviewed September 3, 2009 by Lynda Kelly
The Brooklyn Musuem is a leader in the museum sector and their apps just keepo getting better. They are an inspiration to us all.
Report Inappropriate Review The Brooklyn Museum is keeping...
Reviewed September 3, 2009 by Siona Marques
The Brooklyn Museum is keeping art relevant, exciting and accessible to the world community. Thank you for keeping one step ahead via innovative technology and keeping Brooklyn on the forefront! I’m a Brooklyn baby so it makes me feel great to know that
Report Inappropriate Review Brooklyn have long been an exemplar...
Reviewed September 3, 2009 by Mal Booth
Brooklyn have long been an exemplar to other museums and this is yet another great example for others to follow in terms of innovative use of mobile technology to encourage community involvement and to increase awareness of art. Increased community owners
Report Inappropriate Review This is the kind of innovation...
Reviewed September 3, 2009 by Patricia Perlo
This is the kind of innovation that makes the 'younger set' like pre-teens and teens interested in art and museums. It communicates not the stuffy quietude but the dynamic, innovative, and just plain fun that art truly is all about.
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