How to translate the experience of art into the digital space

In short

Services

Product design

Industry

Culture

Tags

Brand
Content
Omnichannel

Context

Between 2022 and 2023, our studio carried out the redesign of the Slovak National Gallery's website. The project was initiated by the nearing completion of the reconstruction of SNG's iconic riverside headquarters on the Danube embankment. This brought about the need to redefine the gallery's brand identity and raised new expectations for its communication channels. The website became one of the key tools in this transformation.

Challenge

How can we create a functional and aesthetically engaging digital tool for a national cultural institution—one that faithfully and originally translates the gallery experience for art lovers into the digital space?

Solution

In collaboration with SNG, we created a digital concept that naturally connects artistic content with an intuitive user experience—addressing the needs of diverse audiences, from children to professionals.

Beyond design itself, the project also encouraged SNG to internalize several roles, gradually taking full ownership of the website.

To represent, connect, and sell

The website redesign was a long-term project carried out in phases over approximately three years.

Among the primary goals was the need for a representative website befitting a national cultural institution, as well as the integration of content from various platforms (Medium, Web umenia), ticketing systems, and applications used in exhibitions. Other key priorities included the creation of an FAQ section to ease the workload of the SNG team and support for event registrations.

Additional challenges involved incorporating the loyalty program and naturally integrating the gallery's satellite venues into the content structure.

From academics to dog lovers

The research conducted in collaboration between the LB* team and lab.SNG included an online questionnaire, in-depth interviews with both academic and general audiences, and on-site surveys at the Esterházy Palace. Our goal was to understand visitor needs before and after their gallery visit and to gather feedback not only on the website but also on services offered in SNG's newly renovated spaces.

From a user experience perspective, a recurring theme was the strong need to prioritize information within the site's structure and hierarchy. Visitors expected clear, accessible details on exhibition durations, opening hours, and the availability of events for families or pet owners.

When it came to exhibition and visit-related content, respondents most frequently mentioned topics such as the artist, the artwork, and the physical space in which the exhibition takes place.

A website you'll want to get lost in

The new design concept set the direction for the Slovak National Gallery's website for years to come.

We designed key screens—from the homepage to exhibition detail pages—introducing ideas like a hero carousel with video and modular content blocks with essential information about events and exhibitions, which today form the core structure of the site.

These screens also helped define new UI principles, which streamlined the visual design process in later phases. That visual layer was further developed by the lab.SNG team independently, using their internal resources. The visual language draws from SNG's identity, featuring a bold green color and a custom-made typeface. The tone of voice was intentionally set to be natural and welcoming—free of elitism, inviting everyone to discover and explore art.

The content strategy was built on a triangle of artist - artwork - space, designed to encourage visitors to explore and uncover new layers of content. You might come looking for an artwork and end up at a related workshop. You might be drawn to an exhibition and find yourself listening to a podcast. Our goal was to let users “get lost” in meaningful, serendipitous connections—something they might not experience even during a physical visit to the gallery.

The website was initially developed externally, and later handed over to SNG's internal team. Implementation happened in multiple phases—from homepage and exhibitions to education, collections, and the magazine.

The new version launched in March 2023, and in subsequent updates, the site was expanded to include features like integration with the reservation system and a loyalty program.