In early June, the ASIMUT development team gathered in Oslo for a working retreat – a few days dedicated to stepping away from the day-to-day and focusing on the bigger picture: where the platform is heading, how we get there, and how the wishes and data from our users can help guide the way. Arriving in Oslo through the fjord in the early morning gave the team a chance to experience some of Norway’s striking natural beauty – a fitting start that set a thoughtful and inspiring tone for the retreat.
Building for the future
As the needs of arts institutions continue to evolve, so does the technology behind ASIMUT. The core theme of the retreat was the next generation of ASIMUT’s technical foundation, and the team worked through a packed programme of technical sessions covering everything from a restructured front-end architecture to new approaches for handling real-time updates across the platform. These and other initiatives will help ensure that ASIMUT remains fast, reliable and ready for the years ahead, while also exploring new ways of making use of artificial intelligence.
AI was a major theme throughout the retreat. The team explored how recent development in AI-coding tools – which have already become an indispensable part of our daily work – can help us work even more efficiently, as well as how ASIMUT can support institutions that wish to incorporate AI into their own workflows. An important principle is flexibility: both the flexibility to let institutions work with the AI tools that best fit their needs, rather than tying them to a single provider, and the flexibility to explore where AI has real value. It’s a deliberately open approach at a time when many software vendors are moving towards more tightly coupled AI solutions.
The retreat also focused on knowledge sharing, onboarding and development practices that help ensure expertise is shared across the team and that ASIMUT remains a stable and robust platform as it continues to grow.
Oslo as a backdrop
Of course, it wasn’t all whiteboards and code reviews. The team also enjoyed the opportunity to explore Oslo together, including nice food and a guided tour through both the city’s well-known landmarks and some of its most vibrant neighbourhoods, from Grønland and Tøyen to the creative buzz of Grünerløkka.
It was a productive few days, filled with discussions, new ideas and a shared direction for the future development of ASIMUT. While technology continues to evolve, the conversations, decisions and relationships behind a platform like ASIMUT remain very much human.
