Generous Interfaces: Exploring Cultural Collections Talk by Canberra-based academic, writer, and data visualiser Mitchell Whitelaw on 29 January 2015. Art Asia Archive - Hong Kong
He argues that the ‘search’ function may not be the most generous way into these digital collections of cultural materials which — whether housed institutionally or personally — primarily reach audiences through their internet interfaces. Informed users can easily navigate and locate materials based on prior knowledge, but new users are often left to begin without any anchor or direction. This phase of seeking an entry point is necessary for the production of new research to some, yet there is a current trend towards more open, exploratory, and generous ways of presenting collections, building on familiar web conventions and extending them. Referencing some of his past and ongoing projects, Whitelaw proposes a way to think about collection interfaces by 'sharing abundantly’.
