Page 234 - AC/E's Digital Culture Annual Report 2015

AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report 2015234exponentially in order to increase their functions and make them more attractive and useful. That is why museum apps focus our attention on the points we will list below, analysing them in com- bination with other initiatives that are developed by these technologies used in other media and contexts which – in this case dispensing with our terminal – are employed as educationaltools to enhance our enjoyment and provide us with a thorough knowledge of heritage without endangering the conservation of the institutions’ collections.Apps are computer programmes that are installed on our smartphone or similar device and are especially designed for each operating system; they are available from virtual stores. Some applications are free and others have a cost. The price is usually a token amount com- pared to the huge possibilities the application offers.The two leading operating systems on the market are Android (more common in our country) and iOS, which is developed for Apple terminals.The existence of various systems makes it nec- essary for institutions interested in launchinga mobile application to be very familiar with the characteristics of their audiences so that the chosen app can be downloaded by the largest possible number of visitors. As stated, it is com- mon for museums in Spain to choose Android, as it is the most widely used operating system in the country, but they are being increasingly launched in iOS too in order to cater to a very high proportion of the potential audience.Mobile technology has changed how we relate to museum content, and therefore anyone with a terminal can be regarded as a potential audience. The key factor in the use of applications is to boost interaction, customisation (as devices are personal, intimate) and participation. Users are no longer a passive audience. They engage with the works and content creatively, selecting and producing stories. Therefore, the success of an app in the museum necessarily requires knowl- edge of its audiences, their needs in relationto the institution’s mission, and the ability to provide a visit enriched with experiences and learning.Many apps make museums more accessible to people with disabilities (such as the one recently implemented by the Museo de Arqueología Nacional, the first multimedia guide fully accessible to people with and without sensory impairment in a Spanish museum41) and there- fore democratise cultural enjoyment.This section will provide representative examples of these offerings, explaining what they consist of and how they enhance interaction during the visit.3.1 ScreensOne of the first artefacts to be adopted by museums and exhibition centres to offer visitors a different experience that complements the works and guided tours is undoubtedly screens. Then came mobile screens – first of PDAs then of smartphones – but before that it was muse- ums which supplied this technological deviceFocus 2015. Museums and New Technologies