Icelandic Art Center
Curation, connection
Services
UX, web design, development, content architecture, animations and motion design
About the project
The Icelandic Art Center's new website serves as a digital platform promoting Icelandic art. It was designed to provide information and facilitate collaborations between artists, curators, press, and art institutions. The site features a clean design and smooth transitions, allowing the focus to remain on the content itself - the artwork.
Art Guide
The new website for the Icelandic Art Center functions as a primary resource for curators, journalists, artists, and art institutions, providing accurate information about venues and art exhibitions throughout the country. The Art Guide is a detailed tool that allows users to filter options based on their interests, accessibility, location, opening hours, and more.
The Icelandic Art Center (IAC) promotes and supports Icelandic contemporary art on an international scale through grants, collaborations, and various projects. The IAC fosters professional partnerships, visitor programs, and global collaborations among artists. Additionally, the Center plays a pivotal role in commissioning the Icelandic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
Discovery with design thinking
Approach
Our focus was on user stories and our target demographic, especially international visitors and locals interested in Icelandic art. Since most users access content via smartphones, it's crucial for the website to be mobile-friendly. We agreed on a minimalistic design approach that showcases the artwork effectively. To achieve this, we worked in close partnership with Studio Studio.
Design collaborations
Studio Studio
Technical approach
Framework
We decided to use Payload as a platform because of the flexibility it offers. It was particularly well-suited for the IAC website, as we could easily customize the structure of the content according to the needs of the art center. In addition to the editor, artists can upload their own content, and Payload works well for this as the access control is also flexible.
Content creation and beyond
Minimal design - let the art shine
The Icelandic Art Center website has a clear purpose: to promote Icelandic contemporary art. In terms of content, it's a visual dream come true for us. The images of the artworks are the main focus, and we treat them with great respect, never cutting off the top or altering them in any way. The artwork speaks for itself, while the website is fresh and stylish.
We are over the moon with our new website and the collaboration
The project was big and required integrating a lot of content into the website. Hugsmiðjan understood the project right from the beginning and worked on it with enthusiasm and dedication.
Auður Jörundsdóttir, Director of The Center for Icelandic Art
Awwwards
Public Web of the Year
Web of the Year - small businesses