Insights

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco oversees two unique museums - the de Young in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park - and stands as one of the most visited arts institutions in the United States. We worked with their team to create Insights, an immersive digital platform that showcases their permanent collections and special exhibitions.

Workshop table with artwork printouts labeled Klimt & Rodin and Stuart Davis, surrounded by handwritten sticky notes

Two workshop participants looking over artwork printouts and sticky notes on a table, in black and white

Strategy

We worked closely with FAMSF to translate the in-person museum experience into this interactive, digital space. We interviewed incredible people across the institution and collaborated in workshops to find new ways to celebrate the breadth and diversity of their collections. Out of this process emerged a clear need to give the platform an identity of its own.

Naming

We began by selecting a name that could represent the initiative and encourage visitors to discover more. Carefully crafted to leave room for interpretation, Insights captures the spirit of what can be seen both on the surface and upon deeper reflection. With context and a closer look, what might appear simple at face value becomes complex. Something new emerges. Something insightful appears from something in sight.

Cropped type specimen reading Akzidenz Grotesk Next Bold in white on charcoal

Color system diagram with circles for black, white and a story color at 100%, 30% and 7-10% opacity

Building for expansion

Every element of Insights was built for extensibility, allowing the platform to grow and change as the museums’ collections evolve. We created a robust component gallery that each emphasized different elements of the art. While some offered deep historical context, others brought users in close to look at the details of the artwork. Used together, this toolkit allows the curators to customize the pace and structure of the story they develop; arranging the components one way, they might tell one story, but rearranged another way visitors see something completely different.

Comparison slider splitting a bronze Rodin sculpture and a sepia photograph of a model in a similar pose

Audio player component titled "Listen" with a play button, progress bar, Read Transcript link and See All button

The aesthetic needed to reflect two vastly different museums and the collections of art within them, while maintaining a level of tonal and visual consistency.

Full-page view of the Insights story La Prose du Transsibérien, with colorful abstract artwork between text sections

Full-page view of the Insights story Teotihuacan, with aerial photos of the pyramids and a site map

Grid of phone screens showing Insights stories on mobile, including chapter, quote and introduction pages

Gustav Klimt's painting The Virgin, sleeping figures entwined in brightly patterned fabric

Press & Awards

Webby Awards

Honoree, 2019

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