Pollen Perfects The Art of Design for the MCA

Giving the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) a new platform to tell its stories and engage a broad range of local and international audiences around contemporary art, artists and ideas, Sydney agency Pollen has led the design and development of the museum’s new look website.

Conceived in collaboration with the MCA’s digital, curatorial, marketing and leadership teams, Pollen also worked closely with the Museum’s Artists and Indigenous Advisory Groups.

Constructed using modular blocks and designed for discovery, the new site takes the viewer on an immersive journey through contemporary art, events and exhibitions, both current and past.

MCA Director Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE says: "The new website also demonstrates the MCA’s strong commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture through the inclusion of an Acknowledgment of Country in the footer of each page and a content-rich ‘First Peoples of Australia’ landing page accessible from our main navigation menu. 

“No other comparable organisation in Australia prioritises visibility of First Peoples art and culture on their website in this way; this is a critical area of leadership for the MCA."

Designed to grow with the MCA, new modules can be added over time to support new mediums like VR and more immersive interactive video content, as exhibitions, projects and initiatives require it.

“The site is designed on a tightly structured framework that protects the MCA brand whilst allowing an infinite number of content arrangements so it will always feel fresh and evolving,” says Pollen Creative Director Ross Gales. 

Adds MCA’s Head of Digital Media Jean-Pierre Chabrol: “We thoroughly enjoyed working with Pollen on the site design. Together, we rolled out a very inclusive discovery process which resonated and engaged a very board range of stakeholders and key audiences, both inside and outside the organisation. We now have a powerful digital platform which caters their diverse needs, that will scale into the future."

Pollen will continue to work closely with the MCA in 2018 to evolve the new platform

More recently, the agency also designed a microsite and digital guide for the MCA's popular summer exhibition, Pipilotti Rist: Sip my Ocean, showcasing the work of this pioneer video artist.