Last week I presented at the National Gallery of Ireland's 2011 Symposium where I gave my take on the use of digital media by museums. My talk deliberately cast the net wide and questioned some of the assumptions that can dominate how the arts & culture sector makes use of digital tools and technology. It also referenced the recent Let's Get Real report from Culture 24 (see my last blog post).

I gave five examples of what I'm calling beautiful small things - projects that I believe exemplify good practice in digital media for different reasons, and where I think there's a strong emphasis on adding value for the audience. I chose a game, an online collection, a mobile app, a mobile website and a social media example. I promised to post the URLs of these, so here they are alongside a little bit more context.

• High Tea: this web-based game from the Wellcome Collection is a brilliant example of developing an excellent product, with clear objectives, and reaching out to a target audience via the channels they were already using. There's a fantastic and fulsome evaluation available on the Museum Games site.
• Google Art Project: A contentious choice (and Google can hardly be described as small) but my reason for inclusion is that it's *not* trying to be a database of all the world's art; instead the focus is on a small number of subjects from a select few institutions, and is about giving the audience a great experience and allowing art to be explored in a uniquely digital way.
• Just Add Art: A lovely little iPhone app from Bonnefantenmuseum in The Netherlands with a simple interface that allows you to experience, create and share art in a fun and engaging way. Superb.
• 26 Treasures Scotland: Not-quite-launched but shaping up nicely, National Museums Scotland's use of QR Codes to access original audio content showcases the flexible use of simple and widely-available technology. You too can build an audio tour on a miniscule budget...
• The 80s Are Back: The Powerhouse Museum is no stranger to receiving accolades for its digital work, but the use of social media to accompany their The 80s Are Back exhibition stands out because it was so well targeted, encouraged genuine sharing of experiences, and was responsive when elements didn't resonate with the audience. Lots of examples of using social media to 'engage' simply miss the point, this gets it spot on.

I'll be giving the talk again at the Scottish Museum Federation's Digitally Speaking event this coming Friday.