Axis are champions of the arts. Supporting artists by providing invaluable resources, opening up opportunities, creating communities and giving them a platform to showcase their work. Accessible, open to all, inclusive and empowering, Axis provide UK contemporary visual artists with a supportive environment, helping them to thrive, We helped Axis redefine their digital offer, rehoming over 12,000 artworks into a search optimised, user friendly website.
The website ties together several tools, including membership payment portals, search as a service and community platforms, all linked to a single sign on system. We developed their visual identity, planned the technical architecture, defined and refined the user experience and created a comprehensive new design system to roll out an accessible and consistent user interface that allows rapid exploration of their vast library of inspiring content.
What we loved
- A brilliant collaboration with an inspiring client, they provided clear guidance but trusted us throughout
- The use of Algolia Search as a Service provided a lightning fast, highly intuitive search tool
- We had to manage a complex import of over 10,000 artworks and 2,000 artists
- We built a completely custom interface for artists to build and manage their own portfolios
- A flexible, tiered membership system with different access and functionality permissions for each membership type
We had to completely rethink the way Axis showcased artwork and organised its content. A comprehensive technical architecture and UX phase was undertaken where we modelled all the types of content, established connecting principles, and prototyped the workflows. From here we could review, add details and define more specifics around the content requirements for each stage of the user journey.
There are a number of systems working together behind the scenes. The Craft CMS powers the content platform. Circle.so is their community platform where Axis members network and share ideas. Chargebee is used to manage subscriptions and membership payments. And Auth0 is used to provide a Single Sign On connection between all the applications.
We needed a high quality search interface for users to explore the vast library of artworks and artists that Axis showcase on their website. We used the Algolia Search as a Service tool to provide a near instantaneous search and filtering interface.
The Axis brand is artist-centric. It doesn’t fight for attention and drown out artists’ work but rather acts as a platform to elevate the artists’ voice. The brand is clean and unafraid to use lots of white space, giving elements lots of room to breath and reflects the experience of being in a gallery. The visual identity system is purposefully minimalist, making bold use of shape, line and solid colour.
Mark Smith, Executive Director, AxisWe found Mud at just the right time. After speaking with numerous digital agencies, Mud stood out, they instantly understood our needs and saw how to add value. Despite the challenges posed by the scale of our project and our charity level budget, Mud found a way.
Their expertise, precision, and dedication in designing, building and migrating us to a new website surpassed all expectations. With unwavering commitment and a friendly, reassuring approach, Mud proved to be exceptional in every way
We're immensely grateful for Mud's role in making our website a reality. They've proven themselves to be invaluable partners, and we're excited to continue our journey together, confident in Mud's ability to support our mission. Just like Axis, Mud embodies the values of a caring and supportive community, where our success and mission become their priority.
