Digital Exhibits
VisitWeb-accessible version of onsite museum exhibit narratives.
Project Role
UI/UX & DevelopmentTimeline
6 monthsTeam
One Designer/Developer, one Project Manager, stakeholders from all museum departmentsTable of Contents
Background
During the COVID pandemic, the McLean County Museum of History needed to move its exhibits online to meet people where they were: at home. We replicated the branding and feel of each exhibit in a new section of their website featuring hundreds of stories spanning four main exhibits.
Information Architecture
The information architecture was relatively straightforward. Each exhibit became a collection in Statamic, with each panel as a child entry. A Community in Conflict had more complex needs such as a timeline. The site takes advantage of Statamic CMS's multi-site feature.
Design in Code
In replicating the in-person museum experience online, each exhibit has a unique color theme, layout, and fonts. We created reusable components for site navigation and content blocks.
Mobile Screenshots
Desktop Screenshots
Testing
Prior to launch, we completed usability testing with real humans. We did accessibility testing with tools like WAVE, AccessiBe, and consulting the WCAG checklist. And we iteratively optimized the site for speed with Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights tools.
Results
The launch of Digital Exhibits helped the Museum maintain relevancy during the pandemic, and opened new doors to further their reach regionally, nationally, and globally.