Concept, Content, Project management, Strategy
100 years Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, online museum: www.schiphol100jaar.nl
Bits and Bytes United was asked by the Amsterdam Museum to pitch for a web documentary for the Dutch Airport Schiphol. How to create a (sustainable) digital display of the history of Schiphol in the context of the 100th anniversary in 2016? The assignment was: make an user friendly website for everybody interested in Schiphol and its colorful history. In co-creation with the incredible and awesome crews of Schiphol, the Amsterdam Museum and Orange Tribes, we are very proud to present the result: the online museum Schiphol100jaar.nl.
The online museum Schiphol100jaar.nl is a free and open museum for and by visitors. The museum, like the airport, is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and still growing! The (responsive) website allows the visitors to experience 100 years of history, in stories, pictures and videos. The public is asked to participate and write together the history; and in this way to safeguard -together- the history and stories for future generations.
Starting point:
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2016. In this year, Schiphol tells, in different ways and in different forms, the story of how it evolved from a small airfield into an airport of global proportions.
Assignment:
- Make an user friendly web documentary for everybody interested in Schiphol and its colorful history; pupils, students and local residents.
Enable lasting and sustainable preservation of the Schiphol heritage (content) for the future.
Solution:
- Bring the history alive in a (responsive) website and allow everyone to experience and share 100 years of history, in stories, pictures and videos: the online museum Schiphol100jaar.nl.
- The interface is an integral and important part of the storytelling. The interface ‘bears’ the story and supports the main message. We chose a timeline and themes (airport, innovation, occupations, aircrafts, celebrities, submitted/user generated content), as a result of audience research (tip: always ask open questions and make time for face-to-face interviews at places people are waiting and have time: the airport!).
- Viewers are quickly lost (and everybody is/acts different). You should not overwhelm the users with too many choices; that actually you must make! The idea of the creator must be enticing for the viewer to go along with the story. You have to pull the public with your decisions. Keep it simple and therefore useable and enjoyable!
- Connect and contextualize the content: choose the appropriate basic form (interface) for the right content: text, photographs, graphics, video and audio clips and animations and practice the exciting form of online storytelling!
- Connect surprising and varied ‘manageable’ information in the form of short videclips (maximum 2 min.), photos, facts, quotes and short texts. And make them shareable.
- Provide the possibility of delving in informaties/stories in places where possible.
Make the site easily searchable by topic and date. - We chose a combination of two types of interactivity: ‘Hitchhiking’ (semi-closed): the viewer can follow different paths and can move through the content, but can not add and ‘Participative’ (semi-open): the viewer can make a contribution (user-generated content) but has no effect on the structure.
- We used different types of narrative perspective: argumentative: tells stories, be observational and bring personal stories, not just the facts.
Responsible for:
- Bits and Bytes United was responsible for: concept, research (web, strategy, historical, audience research, usability tests), implementation, content and storytelling. We worked in close cooperation with the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the Amsterdam Museum and partner organizations.
Partners:
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
- Amsterdam Museum
- Amsterdam City Archives
- Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
- Orange Tribes
Lessons learned:
- Working together is fun, challenging, inspirating and together you really are so much smarter!
- Remix and (re) use great stuff the cultural sector and public domain are offering you! And give back. And Schiphol is offering, where possible, its heritage by digitizing and opening up it’s archives, for example with the Amsterdam City Archives, and strives to (sustainable) preserve and safeguard its heritage in the online museum.
- Learning, learning and still learning: factchecking, spelling and styling can never be underestimated! Organise regular meetings face-to-face at all levels, sometimes you just need to laugh, argue, disagree and agree in the same room.
Inspiration and eternal thanks to:
- All our partners! Especially indepted to Paul Luijten, Director External Relations Schiphol Group, Cora Koopstra-de Vries, Project Coordinator Schiphol Group, Laura van Hasselt, curator at the Amsterdam Museum and Marijke Oosterbroek, manager e-culture at the Amsterdam Museum.
Be invited and visit, browse, share and upload your story/ies!
- Online museum: www.schiphol100jaar.nl
- More information on Schiphol 100 years: http://www.schiphol.nl/Travellers/AtSchiphol/100YearsOfSchiphol.htm
- ‘100 jaar Schiphol – Klaar voor vertrek’ in het Amsterdam Museum:
https://www.amsterdammuseum.nl/tentoonstellingen/100-jaar-schiphol-klaar-voor-vertrek
Press:
- http://www.nu.nl/cultuur-overig/4260813/schiphol-opent-online-museum-honderd-jaar-luchthaven.html
- http://www.parool.nl/binnenland/onlinemuseum-toont-een-eeuw-schiphol~a4299584/
- http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/25781782/__Onlinemuseum_100_jaar_Schiphol__.html
Want to know more? Get in touch with Bits and Bytes United and let’s have coffee!