Question 1

How do I get started making content that my audience can find on the Gesso App?

Accepted Answer

New organizations should request access by sending an email to hello@gesso.app

Once logged in, you will be prompted to add additional information to your profile such as the organization’s name, preferred URL, short description, address, and profile images. This information will be visible and associated with any content your organization publishes.

Question 2

How do I know when my content is visible to the public?

Accepted Answer

When you’re ready to share your official guide with the world, go to your exhibition dashboard and switch the exhibition’s status to published! When your status is “Published” it is visible to all app users.

Question 3

How do I preview content before publishing?

Accepted Answer

The organization's staff can test the content anytime. Whenever you want to test the official guide, head to the exhibition dashboard. Click on the “Edit exhibition details” pencil icon, and you will see an auto-generated passcode next to the status information. This passcode will allow you to test your official guide via the Gesso mobile app.

If you'd like to test the official guide via your web browser, you'll still go to the exhibition details section but this time click on the “Save & Preview” button.

Question 4

How do I remove content from Gesso?

Accepted Answer

To temporarily remove content from public view, change the status of your exhibition from “Published” to “Draft.” To permanently remove content, click the trash icon next to the item you wish to delete.

Question 5

How do I group items in my museum by gallery or floor?

Accepted Answer

In the item details, you will also notice a “Floor / Room / Area” option. Click on this section and then click “Manage Floors” to add more details. When you add a floor, you can give it any name you want. For example, a museum might create floors titled “2nd” and “3rd” to help visitors navigate audio stories based on their location within the museum. Once you fill in item details, press save. You can add, edit, and delete floors anytime.

Question 6

What size images are recommended for the app?

Accepted Answer

We recommend images with an aspect ratio of 1:5.

Question 7

How do I add alt text to images?

Accepted Answer

Next to each item in the exhibition dashboard, you will see a pencil icon to make edits, an image icon to edit and add images, a headphone icon to edit and add the item’s audio guide, and a trash can icon to delete the item.

If you'd like to add alt text to your images, click the image icon and then click the pencil icon on the image that you wish to update with alt text. You will see a pop-up box called “Alt text image description.” Enter your alt text and press save.

Question 8

How do I add transcripts for audio?

Accepted Answer

Next to each item, you will see a pencil icon to make edits, an image icon to edit and add images, a headphone icon to edit and add the item’s audio guide, and a trash can icon to delete the item.

To add more details to the audio guide, click on the headphone icon and then click on the pencil icon. You can change the audio guide’s language, edit the name of the audio file, add a transcript, and add an audio guide number.

Question 9

Which languages do you currently offer?

Accepted Answer

Gesso can automatically translate your content into audio and text into 15 different languages, including Korean, Japanese, Chinese (both simplified and traditional), Russian, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Dutch, Hindi, Hebrew, Danish and Czech.

Question 10

The translations are automated, how accurate are they?

Accepted Answer

Some of the language translations are better than others but most are fairly accurate. Visitors are notified that the translations are automated upon changing the language on Gesso. If budget and time allows, you can override the automated service to provide human translations with your updated content. We have received feedback from many visitors that having some form of translation was preferable to having nothing available in their language.

Question 11

How can I help visitors with low vision change the text size?

Accepted Answer

Gesso’s iOS and Android apps support dynamic text size. Please check the settings on the device for text size options in the accessibility menus. If these users already have settings on their own devices, you shouldn’t have to do anything to adjust the settings.

Question 12

How can I help visitors who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing access transcripts?

Accepted Answer

In the mobile app, after pressing the play button on an audio file, a media tray pops up from the bottom. Inside the media tray, just under the play button you’ll find the transcript.

Question 13

I’ve never recorded audio before, how do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Recording audio may seem intimidating but there are a number of inexpensive and easy solutions for recording. This article is a great place to start. It explains how to do it yourself, including what equipment is needed to record content (spoiler alert: you can even record on a smartphone!). If you’re still struggling with content creation, our team of producers is available for hire to make engaging and exciting audio tours for your visitors.

Question 14

How do I create engaging audio content?

Accepted Answer

This article provides lots of guidance on creating audio content that visitors will want to listen to. If you’re looking for more guidance on creating engaging audio tours, our team is available for hire.

Question 15

How do I encourage visitors to use Gesso?

Accepted Answer

No one wants to create an audio guide that goes unused. We have some recommendations on our blog for encouraging visitors to find and utilize your content on Gesso, and this article outlines the ways that you can promote your audio guide on-site.

Question 16

What museums have appeared on Gesso?

Accepted Answer

You can see a select list of our museum partners at Gesso.app/musuems. You can also explore content directly on our app under the “Museum Guides” section.

Question 17

Who owns the rights to audio and images uploaded to Gesso?

Accepted Answer

Gesso does not own the rights to content uploaded to the app. That intellectual property will always belong to the museums who have created it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my background isn't in audio production?

How long does the production process usually take?

Is this only for individual creators or can groups and organizations use the tool as well?

Which cities can I create content in?

How long does the audio tour need to be?

What devices would my audio tour be compatible with?