Tour of the Smithsonian Commons Prototype Home Page (early version .0001).MOV

context at http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/Commons+Prototype+-+workspace+-...

Just a look at a *very* early draft of the Smithsonian Commons home page, as developed for the Smithsonian Commons prototype project, 12/17/2009. The video shows how we're starting to understand the pieces that make up a commons, and why the Smithsonian Commons would be different than other kinds of museum/research center sites.

This view/narration/commentary is a little heavy on the SI Expertise side of the story - - you'll see more of the community/user centric side of things when we look at pages further down in the site. You'll also start to see us layering in the background story about how this "commons" approach advances the Smithsonian's mission to "increase an diffuse knowledge" in the digital age...

General info on this prototype project is on our public-facing wiki at http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com.

(If you're on Twitter, follow the Smithsonian 2.0 hashtag #si20. I tweet at @mpedson)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• commons
• smithsonian
• prototype

[gwinnn]

Is the Smithsonian Commons relating ONLY to the museums, as it seems now?

Nancy

[mpedson]

Do you ask this because of the organizational structure of the page? Or because of the images we grabbed as placeholders in the design? The Smithsonian Commons will represent all parts of the Smithsonian, including libraries and archives! Do have your team use the web and new media strategy wiki to suggest some great library content to feature in the prototype - - we'll be sure to show the *whole* Smithsonian ;)

[bwyman]

A few quick bits of feedback (split across a few comments since there's a 500 character limit here):

- While you're exposing elements of the community activity, also expose some of the users. Beyond just letting users *respond* to the work of the museum, let users *contribute* to the experience so they're an integral part of creating the community, not just responding to it.