Project Title:  Brooklyn Museum Mobile 

Museum/ Institution: Brooklyn Museum 

Media Category: Handheld/Mobile Media

Program Created:  2009

Program URL (if available): http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brooklyn-museum-mobile/id378356586?mt=8  

Project Image(s) and/or Video

Media Source(s)/Credit(s):

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brooklyn-museum-mobile/id378356586?mt=8

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/2009/05/31/brooklyn-museum-api-the-iphone-app-released-on-itunes/

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/2010/07/27/brooklyn-museum-mobile-web-on-iphone-and-droid/

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/2009/04/17/brooklyn-museum-api-the-iphone-app/

Program Description: (150-250 words)

According to the iTunes store, this app allows people to “play games, browse our collection, learn about exhibitions and special events, and recommend your favorite art to other visitors.”  From the iPhone screenshots, it seems like a handy mobile app for those who wish to peruse the museum’s collections.  There are also uses for those planning a visit, including information on upcoming events and a calendar.  I also assume useful information about the museum, such as location and hours, is found under the “Visit” menu.  Shelley Bernstein, Brooklyn Museum’s Chief of Technology, blogged that the app is a “product of a real-world use of our newly-released API” that provides access to the museum’s collections on a mobile device.  Apparently there are also apps for iPhone and Droid that wrap the mobile website.  I’m not entirely sure what the difference is between the two apps, or if one is an updated version of the other.  It would seem redundant to have two apps doing similar things.

Firsthand or secondary review/critique: (150-250 words) 

I do not have an iPhone, android phone, iPod Touch, or iPad, so this was a little tricky to review.  I looked it up in the app store on my dad’s iPad, but the information was nearly the same as on the iTunes website.  Only three people had written reviews, one 4-star rating, and two 1-star ratings.  On the iPad, I could also see about twenty people had rated the app without writing a review, and the results are underwhelming.  Compiling the three reviews on the iTunes site with other feedback I found on the Brooklyn Museum’s blog, people are either happy with the app, or extremely disappointed.  Quite a few people had issues with the app not working, or pictures not being good quality, while others were simply unimpressed with what the app does.  If it functions properly, I think that some aspects of the app would be fun, such as the Gallery Tag! game.  It’s a sly way of getting visitors to tag objects using specific object numbers, and hawking it like a game to play in the museum.  If done correctly, it might be a good way of improving search results and other uses for tagging.  Otherwise, I’m not completely sold that this app is groundbreaking or even extremely necessary.  I might feel differently were I an avid user of such apps.  At least it’s free!       

Technologies incorporated: Smartphone technology, API

Internally or externally produced: Externally - Adam Shackelford at Iconoclash Media developed the API iPhone app, and Dave Wilkinson developed the iPhone and android wrap apps 

Entry Contributor and Date: Leah Juster 03/16/11

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