Taft Museum of Art
Developed new logo and web presence. Created e-commerce functionality and put collection online.
Case Study: Taft Museum of Art (2001) – The Taft Museum of Art, known as one of the finest small art museums in America, desired a redesign of their Web site. In anticipation of an $18 million renovation and expansion project, Taft requested that Armstrong Interactive (AI) design a state-of-the art Web site to highlight the museum’s collections, facilitate e-commerce, and provide information to museum donors and visitors.
AI Methodology: – AI projects follow a six stage methodology: alignment; analysis; design; development; transfer; and closeout. On-site visits, conference calls, and e-mail ensured clear communication between the client and AI at all stages of the project.
Alignment: The Taft Museum of Art and AI signed a letter of engagement, describing the project itself; the objective, scope management, assumptions, risk, methodology, and deliverable; and the structure of the student teams.
Analysis: Based on the analysis of both the client and the end user, the student teams planned the interactive user interface. With technical support from IMS, AI provided the client with detailed product specifications.
Design: Feedback from the Museum, the Observatory Group, and usability testing guided the design process. Reflecting a balance of tradition, simplicity, and innovation, the design offered an aesthetically pleasing site while minimizing the load time. AI provided the client with a design document that explained design decisions and provided guidelines for updates.
Development: AI students then wrote the content for the application, wrote and created the interactive components, and produced a prototype. Based on the results of usability testing, content, and design were revised as needed.
Transfer: To ensure a smooth transition from AI to the client, students established a warranty and a plan for long-term maintenance for the application. The client received a CD, providing full access to all the files necessary to run and update the product.
Closeout: AI delivered the project closeout checklist to the client to finalize all the outstanding deliverables and tie up all the loose ends of the project engagement.
End Product:
AI designed the site to meet the following goals:
1. Increase Revenue
2. Exhibit artwork and provide information.
3. Provide updates on the renovation and expansion of the museum.
4. Allow access to instructional materials
5. Retain current membership while increasing new member applications
Main sections of the site included Museum Information, Collections, Exhibitions, Programs & Education, Calendar Membership, and Shop. A search function and museum feature area increased the site’s appeal. The client expressed satisfaction with both the finished product and with AI Students:
Redesigning our Website was an integral part of our strategic plan, but we were unable to find the human and financial resources to accomplish the goal. Our Collaboration with (AI) at Miami was the key. The students honor their craft and learn an important lesson about how non-profits thrive through collaboration.
Student Learning: – The Taft Museum of Art project promoted student expertise in Web design, image editing, e-commerce, and project management. Stepping outside of the traditional classroom to develop a real product for a real client enabled interdisciplinary teams of AI students to experience the ‘real world’-excellent preparation for the demands of today’s collaborative business environment.
Program contacts:
Glenn Platt, Director, plattgj@muohio.edu
Peg Faimon, Asst. Director, faimonma@muohio.edu
