Acquiring Design
A contextual interface for digital collections
Using the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum's collection, Acquiring Design proposes an online interface for data-rich digital collections. The interface is premised on presenting the collection as a series of time-based relationships: when a piece was made, acquired and exhibited.
Role: research, user testing, wireframes, prototyping, mockups, design, development
Tools: d3.js, Principle
In an attempt to move beyond simply searching an exhaustive collection, Acquiring Design presents objects in context with one another. Two modes—Object View and Aggregate View—enable different interpretations of the collection. However, "the other" and "the related" is continually present. The key is the juxtaposition which allows users to identify relationships.
In 1997 Kevin Donovan argued that simply allowing users to search through extensive lists or to use a blank search box does not equate to access, and that cultural institutions should focus on facilitating learning rather than just providing information. Though technology has advanced, this problem of nominally providing “access” to a collection without offering ways to learn more persists in the dominant single-object approach."How Do Institutional Philosophies Manifest in Online Collections"
Keir Winesmith and Flora Grant
San Fransisco MoMA, September 2014
Studies explored user flows for navigating the large data set and what properties were important to display
