Avoiding Digital Decay: A Strategy for Sustainable Museum Content
Why museums need a long-term plan for mobile and digital interpretation
Introduction
Museums are increasingly embracing digital interpretation—from mobile guides and QR codes to audio tours and online content. These tools help expand access, offer deeper context, and allow visitors to engage on their own terms. But as more institutions go digital, a new challenge is emerging: sustainability.
Many museums are building digital content without a plan to maintain it. Links break. Apps age. Staff change. Media files disappear. What started as an exciting project quietly fades into obsolescence—not because it wasn’t valuable, but because it wasn’t built to last.
This is what digital decay looks like: interpretation tools that stop working, stories that become outdated, and platforms that go unsupported. And it’s more common than many institutions realize.
This article explores why museums need to treat digital content as a long-term asset—not just a temporary initiative—and how to build interpretation strategies that are sustainable, staff-friendly, and mission-aligned for the years ahead.
The Problem with Project-Based Thinking
Many digital interpretation efforts begin as one-off projects: a mobile tour for a new exhibition, a grant-funded accessibility feature, a prototype media guide for a specific audience. These initiatives often have clear start and end points, tied to a deadline or launch event.
But what happens when the project ends?
Too often, the answer is: nothing. The team moves on. The budget runs out. The person who built the system leaves. And the digital content—no matter how thoughtful or effective—begins to degrade.
Without a long-term plan, even great digital interpretation becomes fragile. Servers get decommissioned. Web platforms evolve. Formats become outdated. Staff forget how to update the system—or don’t even know it exists.
What started as innovation turns into clutter. Or worse: into broken links and outdated information that quietly erode trust with visitors.
This isn’t a failure of strategy—it’s a failure of structure. And it’s entirely preventable.
What Digital Decay Looks Like
Digital decay isn’t always dramatic. It often unfolds slowly, over months or years. But the symptoms are familiar:
QR codes that lead to expired URLs
Audio files hosted on services that no longer exist
Apps that haven’t been updated since 2018
Interpretation written for an audience that’s long since changed
Digital exhibits that staff no longer know how to access or edit
To a visitor, these failures send a message—intentional or not: this content isn’t cared for. This museum doesn’t maintain its digital presence. And if that’s true for interpretation, what else might it be true for?
Of course, the real reason is usually more mundane. Staff turnover. Budget cycles. Forgotten passwords. Platforms that quietly disappeared. But from the visitor’s perspective, the effect is the same: confusion, frustration, disengagement.
Avoiding this outcome requires more than good tech. It requires sustainable thinking.
Why Sustainability Needs to Be Baked In
Museums are already experts at preserving physical collections. They understand temperature control, conservation materials, and long-term storage. But when it comes to digital interpretation, the preservation mindset often falls away.
Instead, digital content is treated like a bonus—something that can be added temporarily, used for a while, and then quietly retired. But interpretation is part of a museum’s educational mission. And if it lives online, it deserves the same care as a printed label or a curated object.
Sustainability doesn’t mean content can never change. It means content is maintainable:
Easy to update
Easy to locate
Easy to transfer between staff
Built on platforms that are supported, secure, and stable
It also means content is context-aware. What’s created for one audience or era may need adaptation later. Sustainable design considers how interpretation might evolve—and plans for it.
Digital Longevity Requires Human Capacity
Technology alone won’t solve digital decay. Even the best platforms need people to keep them alive. That’s why sustainability starts with staff, not software.
Museums should ask:
Who owns this content?
Who knows how to update it?
What happens when that person leaves?
Is documentation in place?
Are platforms easy enough that multiple people can learn them?
If the answer to any of these is unclear, digital interpretation is at risk—even if it’s technically functional.
This is especially important for small museums, where roles are fluid and staff wear multiple hats. Choosing tools that are simple, intuitive, and minimally reliant on one person is critical. The more a platform requires technical skill or institutional memory, the more fragile it becomes over time.
Building digital sustainability doesn’t mean hiring a tech team. It means choosing tools and workflows that fit your actual staff structure—and will continue to fit it, even through turnover or transition.
Low-Tech Can Still Be Long-Term
Some of the most sustainable digital strategies are the simplest. A well-organized folder of MP3s and text files, hosted on a stable CMS, can last far longer than a flashy custom app built on a proprietary platform.
The goal isn’t maximum innovation—it’s long-term usability.
For example:
Use platforms that don’t require regular plugin updates
Store interpretation content in formats that are portable (like HTML, MP3, or plain text)
Choose systems that allow for incremental updates, not full overhauls
Avoid tools that tie interpretation to devices the museum doesn’t control
This approach may not win design awards, but it will still be working when trendier tools have disappeared.
In a museum context, longevity often matters more than novelty.
What a Sustainable Digital Interpretation Strategy Looks Like
A sustainable strategy doesn’t have to be complex. It just has to be intentional.
Here are the core components:
A stable platform that’s easy to manage and unlikely to disappear
Clear ownership of who updates, audits, and archives content
Simple tools that don’t require specialized training
Documentation that survives staff changes
Modular content that can be reused across exhibits or formats
Backups that prevent loss in the event of technical issues
Mission alignment that ensures the content remains relevant, not decorative
In short: sustainable digital interpretation is content that lives as part of the museum—not as a side project.
It’s not just built. It’s cared for.
Conclusion: Plan for the Future You Want to Keep
Museums don’t just collect. They conserve. They plan for decades and preserve for generations. That same care should extend to interpretation—especially as it moves into digital space.
Digital decay isn’t inevitable. It’s the result of short-term thinking. And the solution isn’t more tech. It’s more intention.
By treating mobile interpretation as a long-term investment—and choosing tools that are flexible, maintainable, and staff-friendly—museums can build digital experiences that age gracefully, serve reliably, and continue to connect visitors with meaning, year after year.
About Footnote
Footnote is a mobile interpretation platform built for long-term sustainability. Designed specifically for museums, it enables staff to create and manage digital content with ease—no tech expertise required. With simple editing tools, portable formats, and stable hosting, Footnote helps museums build interpretation that lasts.
Learn more at tryfootnote.com