Since I still don’t know what my topic for this class is going to be, I decided to compare and contrast the websites for two museums.  Rather than picking two museums randomly (which, arguably, may have led to a more objective comparison), I decided to look at two that I am familiar with.

The Honolulu Academy of Arts is probably the premier art museum in Hawaii. Which is to say it is the only general art museum, with a varied collection that ranges from prehistorical through modern art. There website, in the most complimentary of ways, reflects this wide range of subject matter through a very busy front page. The central panel is dedicated to information on a current exhibit, but both the left and right side panels hold a variety of ad-like boxes describing different things. In addition, the the navigation bar at the top holds drop-down menus that lead to an amazing array of different areas. Navigation is not simplistic, and while a variety of audiences may be targeted with this approach, it is discomforting to a casual visitor looking for basic information about the museum.

I might further posit that the website does not give a good sense of what the museum is about, or convey the actual experience of visiting in any way. In fact, the actual museum is beautiful and peaceful, with a non-linear path through the exhibits in large high-ceilinged galleries and courtyards filled with fountains. The color scheme may be an attempt at simplicity, but it ends up being a little boring with few other visual elements to add context or visual stimulation.

The second website is for another museum in Hawaii, but one that is smaller and much more of a niche art museum: The Contemporary Museum of Hawaii. I find this website to be much more visually approachable, with a panoramic picture of the museum at the top of the page, a small navigation bar and a good contrast of white space and a darker gray background. The boxes in the picture at the top provide both a neat visual effect as well as additional navigation when rolled over, though the latter is less obvious than it could be. One of my main critiques is that on my laptop, I have to scroll down to get access to most of the links on the right-hand side, including directions, information about the cafe, etc. On a positive note, however, the museum has a good introductory blurb which provides just the right level of information to a casual visitor.

Both of these websites fall under the organizational genre, and neither of them seem to cross that boundary much, which is a little disappointing. Although the Academy has digitized some of the work in their collection, it is in very small, un-helpful digital forms that are really unappealing. I can’t imagine that it would be of any interest to any audience I can conceive of in it’s present state. The Contemporary Museum also has a small online collection that is not at all representative of the number of incredible artworks in its permanent collection, but is slightly more visually pleasing.