Background
FotoFest 2016 Biennial — Changing Circumstances: Looking at the Future of the Planet, was the 16th citywide celebration of all things photographic, with over 120 participating exhibitions, six weeks of engaging lectures and seminars for the public and artists, music and performance events, two multi-week film programs, and the world’s largest international Portfolio Review.
Objectives & Challenges
One of the main challenges FotoFest faced was the constant juggle trying to provide visitors with an array of information without overwhelming them. For the 2016 Biennial there would be over 120 exhibitions, 40+ featured artists, and a fine print auction that needed to be easy for a very diverse audience to navigate through and find important event information. Secondly, previous Biennial websites, like in 2012, utilized imagery, but showing photography wasn’t a central focus. The event information took precedent instead, and the photography was secondary. Lastly, it is always important to FotoFest that the website design incorporates the Biennial theme.
Solution
HexaGroup set out to improve user experience with a user-friendly responsive website that would encourage visitor participation in the Biennial program, while keeping the ultimate goal of showcasing photography in mind. Content was organized in sections to present all key Biennial information in a comprehensible way, and avoiding overabundance. HexaGroup developed a website to act as a bold and modern space to showcase the photographs, and for visitors to get all the information they needed. Updates were made to the homepage design and individual page designs, including featured artists page, participating spaces, and the online auction preview. Design elements were added specifically to support the event branding. While reflecting the theme “Looking at the Future of the Planet”, HexaGroup incorporated design elements, including striking imagery and artist information, to enhance visitor experience.
Results
The goal to improve site interest was reached by increasing:
- Traffic: the traffic peaked at 1,906 sessions a day on March 11, 2016
- Time on site: visitors were spending over three minutes on the site during the festival
- Returning visitors: 64% of the people who viewed the site returned for more information
- Mobile Users: More than quadrupled compared to previous
- 2014 Biennial and now make up nearly 40% of traffic
Proven Methodology. Amplified Results.
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