#cayuga museum

[cayugatourism]

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s not too soon to mark your calendar for the Auburn area’s “Holiday Traditions” event when several area churches, museums, and historic sites will host open houses and other special activities on Sunday, December 11, 2016.

"Holiday Traditions” is an event that was created by the Seward House Museum over 30 years ago as a token of appreciation to the Auburn community. Since that time, other local cultural attractions and sites have opened their doors to the public for free the second Sunday in December, making it an annual tradition.

The Seward House Museum still gets all decked out for this event. When you enter their doors you will experience a Victorian Christmas in full with elegant decorations and trimmings, seasonal displays from local florists and artisans and live music performed throughout the day. The wonderful museum staff and volunteers spread cheer by regaling visitors with stories of the Seward family Christmases.

Other participants in this annual holiday celebration vary slightly from year to year, but you can always count on major museums and historic sites such as the Cayuga Museum, Schweinfurth Art Center, Ward O’Hara Agricultural Museum, and Willard Memorial Chapel to have something special going on. Visits from Santa, refreshments, holiday decorations and special activities for the kids are all designed to put you in the holiday spirit.

Area churches such as St. Francis Assisi Church and Westminister Presbyterian Church also join in the celebrations with music, tours, and family-friendly fun.

For more details on this year’s “Holiday Traditions” open house call the Tourism Office at 315-255-1658.

[julisastone-blog]

Mastery Reflection Month 5: Design Research

As technology continues to evolve the way people learn and engage with museums is constantly changing. Not only are museums establishing themselves on social networking sites, they are creating larger and more complex websites to include virtual tours. Launching virtual tours is a means to reach visitors across the globe. At the Cayuga Museum, it is our hope to begin establishing virtual tours as part of our website to not only draw in visitors, but also as to preserve the history of Auburn and Cayuga County along with their artifacts. By having a virtual data base of objects, documents, and photographs it decreases the need to pull them from the archives. Less handling leads to better preservation of the physical artifact.

Having a virtual tour will also lead to an increase in physical visitation. When travelers are visiting the area and search our website, a sneak peek tour of what we have will help lure them to us. In addition, having virtual tours leads to increase hits on the website which leads to a higher standing in search engines. However, the most important outcome of virtual tours is that each hit to that page is counted toward attendance. Attendance records dictate which grants museums are qualified to apply for and receive. High attendance records leads to more grants with higher payouts.

 By learning the design process of creating moodboards, wireframes, and comps for websites, I am able to assist with the creation of virtual tours for the Cayuga Museum. In addition, why my newly learned capabilities, I would be able to assist with all design aspects of the website. By having someone on staff who is capable of web design, it will decrease the amount the museum spends on an outside designer.

 Since my ultimate goal is to remain in the non-profit sector (preferably at the Cayuga Museum), being able to develop, maintain, and execute a unified marketing campaign is crucial. As a non-profit employee, my competition would be not only other museums, but also all non-profits. As a result, this course has proven to be one of the most influential of the program in relation to my position at the Cayuga Museum.

 Beginning with moodboards, it was imperative to establish the typography, imagery, color palette and their uses to properly establish the brand voice. George Felton writes that no matter what that message is, or where it appears, it should represent the brand’s personality and speak with the right voice” (2013, pg. 93). A moodboard is a tool that different members of the design team reference when creating media from print, broadcasting, and the web. By referencing the moodboard, the voice stays in tact as well as the design style and quality. For this class I created a moodboard for a pop concert by Alison Gardner as a fundraiser for the fictional organization Save The Tusks. The process of creating a moodboard is applicable toward my current position at the Cayuga Museum because we host several types of programs including First Friday, Final Friday, Word, Movies @ The Mack, and History Book Club @ The Cayuga Museum. By developing a moodboard for each program, all the marketing will be consistent and easily recognizable to the community.

Since this course focused on web design, the second step was to create wireframes. Winnie Lim writes that “[w]ireframing is important because it allows the designer to plan the layout and interaction of an interface without being distracted by colors, typeface choices or even copy” (2012). As the complete opposite of tech-savvy, wireframes were an important step that taught me the importance of information architectures and user interface and interaction. It allowed me to establish hierarchy of not only the information on a given webpage, but also within the entire website. Through a process of wireframe designing, I ultimately landed on using the navigation button size as a mean to dictate hierarchy of pages. Regarding my position at the museum, being able to create wireframes that demonstrate the relationship between webpages is essential for virtual tours. If I were to create a tour like that on the Hermitage State Museum, the browser can navigate through rooms on their bowser, similar to google maps.

The final step was the design comp. While creating the design comps, I went through a couple different versions as I progressed through the month. Amber Turner discuss the challenge of navigation in her article “10 Web design trends you can expect to see in 2016” (2016). Although it is necessary, Turner address how navigation is still a tricky part of web design because there isn’t a simple solution for dealing with it. As a result, the navigation for the Alison Gardner website is part of the graphics. As I made changes to the aesthetics of the website I ended up with the smoky concert lights as the background for the website. In earlier versions I had the silhouette of people at the bottom to give it a more energized feel. However, the excessive background information took away from the navigation and image bubbles as well as the body copy. A joint study conducted by Harvard University, University of Maryland, and University of Colorado concluded that the only universal finding among demographics regarding aesthetically pleasing web design was that “the more visually complex a website was, the lower it’s visual appeal” (Walker, 2012). Through research and design experience and exploration, I have discovered that the most important lesson is to keep the design simple, legible, and clean while keeping the website creative and distinct among others in its category. 

Currently we hire an outside designer/developer to build our website. However, upon the completion of this program, some of the design responsibility (hopefully) will be given to me. With this in mind, it brings me to the questions: “Do I learn how to code?”, “Do I learn to use design software applications that allow me to skip the coding step?” or “Do I rely on outside sources to code websites for me?” Given that as the field of media design becomes more inclusive, in order to find and keep a good position in the design or museum field, learning how to code or use special software is an essential part of development.

 This change is evident in the job postings I found on different search engine sites. When I type in web designer, the majority of the positions require experience in HTML and CSS coding. There are a few positions that exist that do not require experience, but prefer it. Then there are also positions that are strictly graphic design where web design is included. I narrowed my search to web design museum. Here I found the first two types of postings, required and preferred coding experience. Considering my ambition is to remain in the non-profit and small community museums, having the ability to do basic coding is becoming a requirement of the field.

 Working at the Cayuga Museum, our biggest goal is to preserve and share the history of Auburn and Cayuga County—Communication. Jason Beird and James George say in their text, The Principles of Beautiful Web Design, that the foundation for good design is communication (2013). As a museum professional, it is important to understand the importance of media design—yes. That is why I am in this program. The Cayuga Museum has a ten-year life expectancy. The history of this community has influenced not just Cayuga County and New York State. In fact, it hasn’t just impacted the United States, but rather the world via Theodore Case’s invention of sound on film. The focus of the Cayuga Museum—or any museum, is to share the history, culture, or art that is on display. Sharing is only accomplished through effective communication and design. As we progress technologically, it is important for museums to advance simultaneously in order to remain sustainable and current.

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References:

Beaird, J., & George, J. (2014). The Principles of Beautiful Web Design (3rd ed.). Retrieved August 29, 2016, from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/web-design-and-development/9781457174353

Felton, G. (2013). Advertising: Concept and Copy (3rd ed.). Retrieved July 31, 2016

Lim, W. (2012, June 18). A Beginner’s Guide to Wireframing. Retrieved September 12, 2016, from http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/a-beginners-guide-to-wireframing--webdesign-7399

Turner, A. L. (2016, January). 10 Web design trends you can expect to see in 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016, from http://thenextweb.com/dd/2016/01/01/10-web-design-trends-can-expect-see-2016/

Walker, T. (2012). Why ‘Simple’ Websites are Scientifically Better. Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://conversionxl.com/why-simple-websites-are-scientifically-better/

[julisastone-blog]

Three Takeaways from Effective Copywriting

When I was looking at this program, I was really excited about this course. Writing is an essential part of what makes me who I am. I was able to hone in on my skills and really begin to polish some writing techniques. Below are the three takeaways that have had the most impact on my career.  

 Takeaway #1: Voice and Tone

About 90% of this course, in my opinion, was about developing the company’s and the campaign’s voice and tone. In order to sell a product or service it is essential to know who is selling it and to whom. Therefore, to effectively develop the right voice and tone is to thoroughly understand the company, the product or service, and most importantly—the target audience. As a designer and museum professional, I have to understand what attracts my target audience, how to motivate them to care about my non-profit, and how to get them in the doors. I posted a link of my Behance site to the testimonial ads and those who are among our target audience have “Liked” the work.

 Takeaway #2: Headlines and Copy—Not writing too much!

Once the tone and voice is established, talking to the audience in that persona is imperative when developing headlines and body copy. As I progress through this program and in my position at the Cayuga Museum developing marketing campaigns that draw in the target audience. Headlines are the hook to lure in the viewer. Effective headlines lead to an interest that may not lead to attendance to an event, but may lead the viewer will look up the museum and become involved in something else. Precise copy that describes the event, exhibit, or program is important because the viewer doesn’t want to read a lot. I was asked to design fliers for an upcoming Public Scholars Lecture and our monthly book club. As I move forward in my career the lessons and techniques I learned in Effective Copywriting will guide me in creating marketing campaigns. The most important lesson being, as George Felton writes: “Something is always at stake. Every word counts, often out loud” (2013, pg. 99).

 Takeaway #3: Method

It wasn’t until I read chapter 15 in Advertising: Concept and Copy by Felton that I realized the importance of the Craig Smallish tutorial. During week two when working on the initial sketches I felt as if the method processes didn’t really reflect my project. However, after reading the chapter for the course reflection, the processes Smallish described is more or less how my personal process goes. A design process is imperative for any designer because it is a way to explore ideas and weed out the bad ones. At the museum this is imperative because financially we can’t afford to spend money on poor marketing. Taking the time to go through the process of developing a marketing campaign that draws in the target audience will be more cost effective than just throwing something together that doesn’t draw in the crowd.

 References:

Felton, G. (2013). Advertising: Concept and Copy (3rd ed.). Retrieved July 31, 2016

Smallish, Craig. (Author). (2013). Developing Ideas and Design Concepts. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/Design-Business-tutorials/Developing-Ideas-Design-Concepts/126121-2.html?org=fullsailold.edu

[julisastone-blog]

Course Reflection

George Felton, author of Advertising: Concept and Copy states that: “Creative skills, like any other, improve with practice, and creativity follows, however idiosyncratically, a method” (2013, pg. 186). Effective Copywriting, in my opinion, was a course devoted to developing a creative method that links the importance of good writing and intriguing imagery. This was established through the many projects and writing exercises required of the course. When developing a campaign, it is essential to research the institution as well as the product or service being sold. By doing so, the designer will develop a tone and voice to fit the institution and product.

Once the tone and voice of the institution and product is established, the designer can begin to do free association, brainstorming, freewriting, or develop lists to form an idea or concept marketing campaign. Early on in the development process, having a method is essential for creative genius to flow. For me, I am a list maker. I design and visualize the majority of my work through words. In undergrad I created altered book sculptures that all began as some form of written information such as personal poetry of passages from books. I had pages of lists the contained ideas for sculptures and as the narrowing process began thumbnails were drawn for the most promising concepts. This lead to rough sketches and execution of the sculpture. As I reflect on this course, I am reminded of the Craig Smallish tutorial “Developing Ideas and Design Concepts” and how my personal process aligned with his. 

Having been out of creative practice for five years this program, and this course in particular, have really refocused the way I see myself in relation to my work at the Cayuga Museum and to my work as an artist. For years I separated the two. Now I am able to unify them. As a result of this class and being given the opportunity to develop testimonial ads for the Cayuga Museum, I have been asked to design two fliers for upcoming events. The opportunity of being forced to recognize and utilize a method of developing tone and voice through copy and compatible imagery has gone beyond making me a better designer and presenter. It has given me a new competitive advantage as a museum professional, which is the reason for my enrollment in this program.

 References:

Felton, G. (2013). Advertising: Concept and Copy (3rd ed.). Retrieved July 31, 2016

Smallish, Craig. (Author). (2013). Developing Ideas and Design Concepts. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/Design-Business-tutorials/Developing-Ideas-Design-Concepts/126121-2.html?org=fullsailold.edu

[julisastone-blog]

Defining Client Needs: Takeaways

Research

The biggest takeaway for me in Defining Client Needs is how important research is to validate your design choices. The text A Designer’s Research Manual states that “[b]y nature, designers are visual people. … They often understand intuitively what it takes to create attention grabbing artifacts that delight, inform, or inspire” (p. 89). This is how I have always functioned. However, as I’m going through this program and moving up at the Cayuga Museum of History and Art, I am learning more and more how important citing your resources is to great design work.

Multichannel Marketing

 Another concept that stuck with me was the idea of multichannel marketing. Due to our low (rather nonexistent) marketing budget, we have few options at the Cayuga Museum of History and Art. We stick with the few things that we know work. However, the methods we currently use are geared toward our demographic, not toward our target audience. In order for us to survive, we need to shift our demographic and increase both our attendance and membership. Which, I believe is possible via the use of a multichannel campaign. The article “Multichannel Marketing: What it is and why it matters” claims that “multichannel customers spend three to four times more than single-channel customers do” (Multichannel Marketing). Once I understand my target audience, it is important to select the proper media channels. It essential to know which type of media will be seen by my target audience. Therefore, it is key to know what media options are available (Burtenshaw).

Presentation

A final takeaway from Defining Client Needs is the importance of an effective presentation. Of all the lessons in this course, this has been the most challenging for me to accomplish. I never really understood the importance of presentation until now. The presentation is what can either make or break a contract. Therefore, it is one of the most important aspects in the design process. In the video Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action, the best presentation focuses on the why: “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”. Being able to highlight why the Cayuga Museum is important rather than what it is would be a better marketing campaign. In this course, I have learned that it is essential as a design and museum professional, that I need to master Presentation skills if I want to succeed. In Justin Seeley’s tutorial Designing a Presentation I learned the fundamentals to creating an intriguing and memorable presentation. It should be a visual to aid what is being said, not a script to read from. People are more likely to remember an image versus a screen of text.

 References:

Burtenshaw, K., Mahon, N., & Barfoot, C. (2006). The Fundamentals of Creative Advertising. Retrieved June 12, 2016.

 Multichannel Marketing: What is it and why it matters. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2016 from www.sas.com/en_us/insights/marketing/multichannel-marketing.html

 O’Grady, J.V, O’Grady K. A Designer’s Research Manual: Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What They Really Need. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/graphic-design/9781592535576

 Seeley, Justin. (Author). (2013). Keynote Tutorials. Designing a Presentation. [Video File]. Retrieved from, http://www.lynda.com/Keynote-tutorials/Designing-Presentation/124082-2.html

[Ted]. (2010, May 4). Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4

[julisastone-blog]

First Step in Mastery

My mastery journey began in 2014 when I was asked to be a key-note speaker for the annual Take Back the Night Rally hosted by S.A.V.A.R. This was a turning point in my life. I left a home care job in exchange for more hours at The Cayuga Museum of History and Art where I am the Curatorial Assistant. In the last two years, I have discovered that my place is in the non-profit, museum world.

Although I have accumulated a lot of knowledge in the last two years working as a Docent and Collections Assistant before becoming the Curatorial Assistant, there is still much more to learn. After a year of consideration, I applied and was accepted into the Media Design MFA program through Full Sail University. The next twelve months in an accelerated graduate program will be not only difficult, but rewarding.

Over the next year, I hope to acquire the creative, marketing, and computer skills necessary to succeed in the non-profit sector. As the way people interact with each other and technology shifts, museums have to develop new ways of educating their communities. It is my hope, that through this program I will be able to bridge the growing gap between small community museums and their communities. Or, at the very least, begin the mission.

In addition, I am excited to be involved in an online learning experience. It allows me the opportunity to network and collaborate with people across the globe who are also looking to expand and build upon existing knowledge and skills. Values and ideals differ between cultural groups. Online communities provide a platform for those of different backgrounds around the world the opportunity to exchange ideas and information.

Once I’ve completed my MFA program, I hope to enter the job market and secure a position in a museum. Ideally, I want to work as the creative head of development and marketing in a small museum similar to The Cayuga Museum of History and Art. I believe in the importance of small community museums. However, I also believe that unless we can bridge the growing gap between small museums and their communities, they will begin to fade away.