Re-imagining a national collection online

The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC) holds a world-class collection and an extraordinary body of expert knowledge, much of it embodied in its volunteer community. Yet this expertise was largely experienced onsite, limiting reach and opportunities for income generation.

A period of significant disruption accelerated the need to rethink how the museum connected with audiences beyond its physical walls. TNMOC needed more than ad-hoc digital activity: it needed a coherent, sustainable approach to online engagement that could extend the museum’s mission, attract new audiences and support long-term growth.

Vision
The ambition was to make digital channels a core part of TNMOC’s public programme, not a temporary substitute for onsite visits. Social and web content needed to be planned, purposeful and editorially driven – capable of sustaining regular engagement, introducing new voices and formats, and supporting revenue as well as reach.
Success meant building an online presence that reflected the depth of the collection and expertise, while appealing to audiences who might never have visited the museum before.

Approach
Blended Past worked with TNMOC to turn digital engagement into a structured, ongoing activity underpinned by content strategy rather than reactive posting. We unified the museum’s website and social channels into a single, coordinated platform and developed an editorial programme that balanced authority, accessibility and narrative flow.

We planned and delivered a rolling programme of live and recorded content, including expert talks, thematic explorations of the collection and contributions from new and diverse voices. Each strand was designed to work across formats – social, web and video – ensuring content travelled, accumulated value and built momentum over time.

At the centre of the programme was the development of a paid, interactive 3D tour. Working closely with TNMOC specialists and its technology partner, Blended Past shaped a narrative journey through key moments in the story of WWII code-breaking and post-war British computing. With a strong focus on visitor experience, we curated mixed media, commissioned interpretative text and structured the tour to feel purposeful rather than passive.

Outcome
Digital engagement became a permanent and strategic part of TNMOC’s operation. Social traffic increased by 20% with the museum also attracting a noticeably younger audience profile through the door – including a strong uptake among millennial visitors.

The 3D tour quickly became one of TNMOC’s most popular online offerings, appealing to families, schools, enthusiasts and experts alike, while opening a sustainable new income stream.

Most importantly, the programme demonstrated how research-led content strategy could transform digital from a support function into a primary channel for interpretation, engagement and growth – extending the museum’s reach well beyond its physical site.