At the start of the project, we conducted a thorough audit of the Buffalo AKG's website content and usage. Unsurprisingly, a high and growing percentage of users, both locals and tourists, were accessing the site on mobile devices. We optimized the site, including visual patterns, loading schemes, and content hierarchies, to be mobile-first and highly accessible to users with a range of abilities.

The Buffalo AKG Art Museum houses a collection of over 1.5 million works, making it one of the most extraordinary collections of modern and contemporary art in the world. However, finding works on-site was frustrating due to the abundance and order of search results, especially on mobile devices. To address this, we implemented autocomplete to speed up searches, added a 'sort by type' function, and extended global search to include specific artwork results, eliminating the need for separate searches.

To improve internal organization and the exploration of related content on the website, we decided to group content by type. Each type of content utilizes a visual pattern most appropriate for its unique needs, with ‘events’ displaying as a list view and ‘featured content’ as a flexible grid.

The design of the new Buffalo AKG website focuses on providing versatile ways to view the collection, including timeline views. This feature allows any collection to be presented as a timeline, enabling diverse modes of display and interpretation while utilizing the same records from the collections management system. This approach not only augments the user experience but also facilitates exploration and understanding of the artworks in different contexts.

In addition to UX and feature enhancements, it was crucial for the site to be visually stunning and leverage the typography and color palette of the new brand. The goal was to create a design that not only reflects the aesthetic of a leading contemporary art museum but also complements, rather than overshadows, the artwork on display. Striking a balance between elegance and subtlety was essential in crafting a website that captures the essence of the museum’s identity while letting the exhibited artwork shine.