How are new content delivery platforms helping you share the vast amount of information held by the Royal Botanical Gardens?
Kew holds by any measure, the world's largest and most comprehensive information store about plants. The scale of this information is mind-boggling – 10s of millions of records going back 250 years. So the challenge is to share this in a way that is useful to as broad a range of people as possible. We use a range of channels and technologies – from data sets available in their entirety online to GIS apps for specialists mapping biodiversity of a region, to video content on topics like climate change, social media to develop conversations and keep people abreast of our news, and mobile apps for visitors and plant enthusiasts. We are also looking at how we can use semantic web technologies more effectively.
How is technology changing the way we learn? Are attractions and museums like Kew able to take full advantage of these innovations?
Technology has been changing the way we learn for a very long time. However, I do think there are two major factors which make emerging digital technologies particularly fascinating for learning. The first is their relative ubiquity – although we still have a digital divide, the proportion of people with access to internet-capable devices is increasing rapidly. The second is the portability and power of smartphones, which makes them very exciting learning devices. There is a very active and innovative community working on this in the museums and galleries sector. For example, Tate and the Museum of London have both in the last year released excellent mobile apps based on their collections. At Kew, we are developing a major new visitor app, which will help people lose themselves delightfully in the gardens.
Apps, mobile and web based content have certainly been revolutionary, but how do we monetise this content, and expand its reach to older generations?
Mobile app stores have of course provided new business models for the sale of content, which has been extremely successful in certain cases – primarily games. I think there is a way to go before these business models mature, and in particular I think the 'freemium' model (where you get a free basic app and then make 'in-app purchases') will become the primary growth area. The extension of the app model through tablets to browsers on other computer is exciting and one to watch. The success (or lack of), of recent pay-wall developments appears to support the view that charging for non-specialist content is difficult, and I think that models which offer clear added value will be the ones that succeed.
In terms of engaging the older generations, I think the tipping factors for engagement are often either social (i.e. when their friends do it), or content driven (e.g. when an institution that they respect offers great digital content). Hopefully Kew is one of these institutions that can demonstrate a compelling reason for them to use new technologies.
Who inspires you in digital? What are your predictions for digital media over the next 12 months?
I'm particularly inspired by people and organisations using digital to make changes in the real world. In terms of predictions, I have three: mobile is going to continue to explode, open web applications will start to gain traction, and we will see the first really interesting semantic web applications emerging.
What can we expect from you at the Changing Media Summit?
Biodiversity apps to help save the planet – and getting delightfully lost.
Mike speaks at the Changing Media Summit in Breakout Session 8: 'There's an app for that: How do you create, manage and monetize tablet, mobile and web-based apps?' – 24th March at Kings Place, London.
