Digital Strategy
BPOC has developed a framework to help museums transform into digitally literate and savvy organizations.
Our Approach
BPOC believes that digital strategy is not a project to define how to use technology, but a transitional process of embedding digital knowledge, literacy, and capability into the fabric of an institution to deliver on its mission. The result should be a shift in institutional culture, operations, philosophy, and skillset affecting every department, not just the traditionally-accepted touchpoints where an institution engages with its audiences, such as its website and social media. For an institution, the mission illuminates the “work of the museum”, and a digital strategy should establish a culture of how the “work of the museum” can be improved or enhanced and made relevant.
Crucial to the success of this transition is ensuring that an institution has the means and is capable of change, that all stakeholders are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities, and that the institution as a whole is aware of the opportunities and consequences of this process.
Change can be disruptive, but it is crucial given how much the world has changed and how differently new generations engage with the world around them. Digital culture has changed museum audiences, and museums must change to support them. Digital strategy should establish a framework that aligns an institution with the world around it to create a 21st Century organization that is agile, responsive, entrepreneurial, innovative, staff- and visitor-focused, and operationally efficient.
Our Process
BPOC has developed a structured process that is inclusive, participatory, and iterative, with each step building on the success and completion of the previous one. Our goal is not to dictate what or how a museum should be “digital”, but to guide the museum in defining and effecting its own transformation process. We use a range of methodologies to identify goals and context-specific needs around audience engagement, staff literacy, technology infrastructure and processes, and the effective use of digital tools that will empower museum staff to implement this transition.
Our Process Has 5 Key Phases:
Vision & Goals – The vision and goals for how “digital” can improve or enhance the work of the museum
Discovery & Capacity Building – An audit & review of processes, systems & resources, and an improvement plan to create institutional capacity to support the digital strategy process
Engagement – An analysis and plan of how to use “digital” to engage with internal and external audiences
Infrastructure – An audit of the current technical architecture and information systems, and the development of a target architecture with a plan to achieve it
Transformation – Train & empower museum staff and leadership to take control and effect change with a developed digital strategy as a guide
Past and Present Clients
Detroit Institute of Art
2020-present
A 30-week digital strategy engagement designed to create a digital strategy to transition the organization to support new and emerging audiences, and replace technology and digital infrastructure to support a digital-first, mobile-first experience. Now transitioned to a retainer basis providing high-level strategic and tactical guidance. Delivered initiatives/products including DAMS selection and implementation; Web CMS selection and implementation including a comprehensive website redesign; proposed and set up a new Digital Media department including job description and hiring support; proposal and rollout of content and engagement plan.
College Arts Association
2020-2021
A digital strategy engagement to facilitate the digital transformation of this 110-year-old membership association to build capacity within the organization through operational and administrative efficiencies, and develop recommendations for future strategic change for the organization while simultaneously helping to meet the tactical needs of online conferences. Critical strategies include accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion integrated into strategic and tactical recommendations throughout the engagement.
Space Center Houston
2020 – 2021
A digital strategy engagement that is designed to create a digital and organizational strategy to transition the organization to support and scale new and emerging audiences; review technology, infrastructure, systems, and processes to support a digital-first, mobile-first, audience-first experience. Work includes leadership strategic workshops and transition to a results-driven evaluative culture. Delivered initiatives/products including Web CMS selection and implementation including a comprehensive website redesign; proposed and set up a new Digital Media department including job description and hiring support; proposal and rollout of a content and engagement plan.
Natural History Museum of Utah
2020- Present
An engagement designed to establish a focused digital strategy, build institutional capacity through process improvement, document a comprehensive customer journey map to structure an offsite/onsite experience strategy, and evolve an environment of agility, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Additional work involved a mobile App RFP process in partnership with the University of Utah