With a strong commitment to expanding accessibility and engaging with its local and global community, Buffalo AKG Art Museum rebranded and underwent a groundbreaking campus expansion project completed in June 2023. To complement this ambitious undertaking and align with its goals, Buffalo AKG engaged with Bluecadet to modernize and enhance it’s web presence.
Buffalo AKG Art Museum
The New Buffalo AKG
Buffalo AKG Art Museum Homepage
Project Overview
Founded in 1862, The Buffalo AKG Art Museum, formerly known as the Albright–Knox Art Gallery, houses one of the world’s most impressive collections of contemporary and modern art.
Project Videos and Images
User Experience Audit
At the start of the project, a thorough audit was conducted on the Buffalo AKG’s website to identify opportunities for efficient and elegant implementation of new visual design elements. The goal was to align these improvements with the team’s current and future site objectives. Potential accessibility issues were also identified and appropriate solutions were proposed to ensure inclusivity and the enrichment of the overall user experience.
Improving Search
When considering the “Search the Collection” page, several factors needed attention. There was a general frustration with the abundance and order of results, particularly as they appeared on mobile devices.
To address this, we implemented autocomplete to speed up searches and added a ‘sorting results by type’ function. Global search was also extended to include specific artwork results, eliminating the need for separate searches.
Improving Search
Organization and Exploration
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.
Explore View
Dynamic Collections
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.
Explore View
Designed for Beauty and Balance
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.
Timeline
“The Bluecadet team was a pleasure to work with. They expertly translated our newly refreshed print identity to the digital realm and successfully handled several complex integrations to produce the focal point of our new site, the Collection Search.”
Pamela Martin, Digital Content Manager, Buffalo AKG Art Museum