National Gallery of Canada
Webmaster
Webmasters in an art museum need to complete a minimum of one year of course work in interactive multimedia at the college level in combination with a Bachelor of Arts degree or a computer science degree. They need to be fully trained in a variety of web development software, such as: Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Flash. To plan the content methodology of the website, training in instructional design is also necessary. At the Gallery, webmasters communicate with other staff in English and French and they present content in both official languages, so they must be bilingual.
Many of the people who design Web sites have backgrounds as photographers, filmmakers or graphic designers. Most also have experience as computer programmers. Visual art training is very helpful in order to be familiar with the content of the Gallery’s Web sites.
Webmasters oversees the production of all of the websites which includes:
• Coordinate the production process from concept to launch
• Research and write benchmark and comparative analysis reports
• Perform needs analysis and compile content inventories for each web project
• Design the navigation and content structure for each website
• Work closely with the content providers to assist them in visualizing the conversion of static text to interactive experience
• Prepare the scripts that will direct the build of the website
• Conduct usability and quality control testing of all of the websites.
• Write content strategies for all 6 NGC websites
• Coordinate all photography and video productions
• Provide creative direction on all graphic design
"Web technology is a powerful medium in which to communicate ideas about artwork and artists to reach the largest audience possible. I believe strongly that the National Gallery of Canada’s virtual presence will continue to grow and I am happy to be part of the team that will make this happen."
Jo-Anne Landriault, Webmaster
“The best part of what I do is to think of new ways to present content on the Web. I love the challenge of conceptualizing an idea that transforms static text and images into an interactive learning experience. The rich resources of the NGC collection make for infinite possibilities”
Jo-Anne Landriault, Webmaster
