Comer Collection:
Website Redesign
The Jerry and Marilyn Comer Photography Collection at The University of Texas at Dallas contains photographs, books, and archives relating to modern and contemporary art and photography.
In recent years, the website expects visits from artists, scholars, and public audiences. Therefore, the Comer Collection rethinks and reimagines friendly and simple interfaces, as well as efficient interactions.
Web launch in June 2023: https://comer.utdallas.edu/
Roles
UX/UI Designer- Web Design
Supervisor
S. Diane Durant, PhD
Director of Comer Collection at UT Dallas
Services
Visual Design
UX/UI Design
Deliverables
Low-fidelity wireframes
High-fidelity interactive prototypes
Tools
Adobe XD
Photoshop
Overview
While working in the Photography Department at the School of Arts and Humanities at UT Dallas as Lab Assistant, I have an opportunity to handle multiple duties including archival tasks at Comer Collection. We have a large number of photographs, books, and more in the collection, however, there is a need for the collection to grow – website and marketing.
Looking at the webpage, users can find different recourses for personal and research purposes in the collection but there is a lack of organization of information and tools to connect users with the Comer Collection team for inquiries.
What are our problems?
Let's walk through!
Interaction
There are strange interactions on homepage. For example, first photo in the bio and exhibition sections. The interactions are not playful but confusing and distracting.
Information Structure
There are many informative elements on the homepage but no clear information structure and organization. Visitors might get lost and confused by the list of prints at the end of the website.
Connection
The website does not include helpful tools for connecting or contacting for future inquires. The website seems to lack marketing information, and welcoming feels like other galleries or museums in the industry
Screenshots of old design
Observation:
Learn from others and propose some ideas!
While there is limited funding for the project, I started my research with observational research and comparative analysis to understand the needs. By looking at different websites of galleries and museums in the U.S, I proposed the following ideas:
Simple Homepage
The homepage includes information boxes that quickly guide users to the information they need. It is important to keep users informed with the most recent exhibitions and news.
Contact Page & Director's Welcome
Contact page with contact information in addition to Director's Welcome page. This makes users feel welcome and included.
Search Engine & Email List
It is helpful to include Search Engine to look for information or list of prints in our collection.
Adding email sign-up function on top and bottom of the site for future marketing campaigns.
Wireframing
