    Project
name
MIT Museum website
http://web.mit.edu/museum/
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Background and goals
The Museum's existing website had been designed in 1999 and was
due for an update to improve navigation, ease of maintenance,
and visual appeal. The goals of the redesign were to capture the
imagination and entice viewers to visit the Museum, provide easy
access to collections information and services, address general
inquiries efficiently, and ensure ease of updating by Museum staff.
The PSB role
PSB and MIT's Web Communications Services (WCS) contacted three
firms that could provide both the design and programming, ensuring
smooth project coordination. They reviewed the proposals with
the client and supported their vendor selection. WCS led the development
of the site map, organized usability testing, and performed a
code review. Both PSB and WCS reviewed designs and gave detailed
critiques. Area vendors have commented that the involvement of
PSB and WCS makes their job easier, as they can focus their efforts
on the creative process instead of on educating the client about
project procedures. This reduces the number of hours spent by
the vendors and translates into lower bids.
Results
On the home page, the first three navigation buttons – containing
the main content of the site – reveal a rollover image in
the center of the page, reflecting the open box expressed in the
Museum's logo. These navigation buttons also establish a
color-coding system that follows through to the lower-level pages.
The multi-directional grid and translucent colors illustrate depth
and symbolize the idea of a window revealing plentiful information.
On the lower-level pages, the left navigation fully expands to
show the pages within a specific section. The photos on these
pages support the content.
The Museum has received positive feedback on the new design –
from people both internal and external to MIT and from other museums
– and feels that the site met all their expectations. Volunteer
and intern inquiries have increased since the site launched. As
a way to encourage participation, the Museum asked site visitors
to submit a cool reason for visiting the Museum. They've
since distributed many MIT Nerd Pride buttons as prizes.
The Museum site has entered the commerce phase,
where people can pay online for various services and register
for its annual Friday After Thanksgiving Chain Reaction, making it easier
to handle an event that has grown to over 1,400 people.
Vendor team
Design and programming: Interactive Factory
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