Ashley Beamer and Christopher Ganley
With our mass digitisation programme well underway and our new collections website deployed, the National Galleries of Scotland enters the second phase of major development on the new website.
The aim of phase 2 of the “Systems of Engagement” project, which began in July 2016, was to release incrementally, deploying new sections of the site until we were able to ‘turn off’ our old website; the ideal deadline being March 2017.
Agile Development
Using an Agile method of software development, namely Scrum and Kanban, we ensured code releases that took place quickly and often. …
Our transformation of the new National Galleries of Scotland website (www.nationalgalleries.org) began in early 2016 in response to the Digital Engagement Strategy 2014–2018 which focuses on improved digital access to the collection and services. The previous website had limitations, with only 6% of our collections online, and a complete overhaul was required so our main digital platform was fit for our audiences.
Although the new website was in development for 14 months, we’ve released new functionality often, as part of our user story based Agile approach. …
The National Galleries of Scotland ‘Digital Engagement Strategy 2014–2018’ marked the beginning of some exciting change at the galleries when it was first published in 2013. The statement below was its primary message:
“Working collaboratively, National Galleries of Scotland will create meaningful, enjoyable and participatory digital experiences, to engage audiences with our collection, increasing reach, reputation and revenues through artistic excellence.”
The Galleries has over 90,000 permanent collection and long-term loan artworks, but in 2014 only 10% of them had digital imagery in our Digital Asset Management System (DAMS). On top of that, just 6%…
Ashley Beamer
Online and Social Media Manager, Royal Ontario Museum
