Fun on-Site and Online Exhibits Technology

Transcription

1 Make Software, Change the World! Exhibition Overview Introduction Without software, computers can do nothing. Software, software developers and the businesses they have created have changed the world forever. The mission and vision of the Museum is to chronicle the history of computing, including software and to collect and preserve the underlying artifacts and ensure that the major stories and lessons learned are communicated to as wide an audience as possible. An on-site and online exhibition about game changing software applications will inspire visitors and future generations of software makers. Goals o To explore the impact of software applications on people s lives and the world, e.g. what makes a game changer? o To understand the relationship between software makers and users o To allow visitors to explore how software is created o To inspire, surprise and educate visitors Key Messages o Software makers have extended our reach, amplified our minds, and given us immense powers in a world alive with information and interaction. o Virtually every industry has been transformed by software. o Making software is a complex process that entails planning, implementation, testing and deployment/sales and marketing. o Software productscan have a huge impact on the world, it can change the way something is done, thought about or made. o What software can do is limited only by human imagination. The future possibilities are endless. Page 1 of 5

2 Audience The primary target visitor is the non-specialist, which is defined as someone of middleschool age and above with little prior knowledge about the subject. Curatorial Overview Make Software, Change the World explores the creation and impact of software applications. The centerpiece to the exhibition is the Make Software Lab where visitors will explore what software is and how it is made. This area will demystify software for general visitors, allowing them to understand the basics of software and how it is made and sold as a product. Visitors will also be able try their hand at basic programming in a fun and engaging interactive. Complementing the lab area are 7 software stories that dramatically demonstrate the power of software and its significant impact on individual lives, a specific industry or the world at large. The 7 example stories highlighted in this on-site and online exhibition reflect different timeframes, industries, the nature of the impact and their accessibility to the general public. The highlight stories focus on the era from 1981 to This timeframe reflects a period of rapid growth in computer software to such an extent that software is now ubiquitous in the lives and enterprises of billions of people around the globe. Each highlight story looks at a specific software-based technological innovation, the leadership team that developed it and the innovation s impact on individuals, industry and society. The interpretive approach will thus focus as much on the makers of the technology as on the users. It is anticipated that the highlight stories will change over time and the exhibit will be designed to allow new stories to be switched out over time. Highlight story criteria: o A software based technological breakthrough o Approximate timeframe: 1981 to 2010 (1981 IBM PC announcement) o Impact on large scale but also on an average person s life, e.g. how does it affect me? o A dramatic story: novelty, overcoming obstacles, human interest o Diverse examples across industries and areas of impact Page 2 of 5

3 Highlight stories selected for the exhibition: 1. MRI, 1980s MRI has a rich and interesting history, combining computer science, mathematics, electrical engineering and medicine. MRI has led to early detection and treatment of disease, and is considered one of the most important non-invasive diagnostic tools in today s medicine. 2. Car Crash Simulation Software, 1980s A mix of custom and commercial software, car crash simulation uses engineering techniques like finite element analysis and visualization to make safer cars. Avoiding costly crash tests, computer simulations can be used to explore new designs which may also lead to lighter, more fuel-efficient, and cheaper vehicles. 3. Texting, 1990s Used by billions of people, most of which may not have access to any other form of data communications, the SMS texting system provides an inexpensive means to send messages between people be they American teenagers or sub-saharan farmers. 4. Photoshop, 1990 Developed by the brothers Thomas and John Knoll, Photoshop has transformed graphics, photography and advertising. This image editing tool also helped drive the desktop publishing revolution. 5. MP3, ipod and itunes, 2000s MP3 audio encoding, the ipod, and the itunes Store have altered the way people consume entertainment and how the entertainment industry operates. Early acceptance issues, problems with piracy and digital rights management, and the demise of brick-and-mortar retailers tie into the story arc. 6. Wikipedia, 2000s Wikipedia is the story of how finding information has been transformed by the Internet, but also the story of a philosophy of how software enables collaboration. Just like many other services on the Internet, its users don t know where or how the software even runs. Page 3 of 5

4 7. World of Warcraft (WoW), 2000s Gaming has been a major part of computing and has pushed many of its technical developments forward. MMORPGs are a major commercial venture, of which WoW is the most successful, and take up massive amounts of time for a large number of people. Project Components Physical Exhibition: A media-rich 2,000 square foot exhibition, with an emphasis on exhibit techniques that allows visitors to explore the topic in an interactive and/or hands-on way. Online Exhibitions: An online exhibition featuring the content of the physical exhibition plus additional content not available on the exhibit floor. A key feature will be a robust video viewer, allowing online visitors access to numerous interviews collected during the development of the exhibition. A second online offering will be dedicated to teachers and students, allowing them to explore the topics in the classroom online and at home. Collection and Preservation: In keeping with CHM s collecting and preservation focus, key documents, photographs and full-length oral histories will be collected during the research phase of the exhibition development process. Education: Interactive exhibits, special programs and supporting materials will be geared to families and students to promote collaborative learning. A variety of programs and tools will be created to address the needs of a variety of Museum audiences, such as teachers, students, and families. Lectures: Accompanying the exhibition rollout will be a CHM lecture series consisting of 1-2 lectures dedicated to the topic of the exhibition. Entrepreneurs, software developers and others will take the stage to tell a CHM audience about their game changing application. All CHM lectures are recorded and made available online to a worldwide audience via YouTube. The lecture series will allow CHM to explore topics in the exhibit in more depth. Exhibition Length: The exhibition will be available for community members and Museum goers to view for at least five years. After the special exhibition closes, all but a few of the physical components and all of the web- and video-based components will be moved into the appropriate areas of Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing (i.e. the galleries related to software, personal computers, and networking and the web). We believe that the extended timeframe for the exhibit will allow the Museum to continue to emphasize the importance of these game-changing breakthroughs, make a greater impact in the community and help build our education and interpretative programs. Page 4 of 5

5 Budget & Schedule The total cost of the exhibit is $4 million. We have actively begun the process of reaching out to potential donors, both individuals and corporations, to discuss the new exhibition. The exhibition is scheduled to open in early Page 5 of 5