The ultimate digital art guide

  • Culture
  • Digital experiences

Challenge

Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen is the first publicly accessible art depot, located next to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. It is the first building in the world to open an entire art collection to the public while also showcasing the behind-the-scenes operations of a museum. How do you allow the public to experience 270,000 works without the intervention of a curator? We designed an app as the ultimate digital art guide.

Result

There are no labels next to the works in the depot, but the app provides essential information about tens of thousands of artworks. Many pieces have interactive stories, featuring facts, trivia, photos, videos, audio, and quizzes. This encourages visitors to engage actively with the art. The app saves the artworks in a collection, turning the visitor into an art collector and keeping the inspiring Boijmans collection always at hand!

What we did

Concept development, interaction design, development, storytelling

Impact

4
star rating in the App Store
270,000
collection items saved per year

Awards

  • The Webby Awards: Apps-Art, Culture and Events
  • Dutch Interactive Awards
  • European Design Awards

Stories

At the Depot, works of art are displayed in glass cases and stored in depot rooms that are accessible to the public. Every room has a QR code which you can scan to find out more. Many artworks have an interactive story full of facts, trivia, photos, video, audio, and challenging quizes.

Screenshot van Depot app

Information on thousands of works

With this app you have all the information at your fingertips. There are no museum labels in the Depot, but with the app you will find the most important information for tens of thousands of artworks: who made it, in which year, with which materials and techniques, dimensions, and more.

Screenshot van een vraag in Depot app: How did this painting come to be in the collection?

Look at art more actively with viewing questions

The interactive stories require you to look more actively and help you to discover more – together with others.

Screenshot van Depot app waarin je je eigen gekozen collectie van kunstwerken kunt zien

Your collection

You look at the works that appeal to you, make you curious or surprise you: works that match who you are. The app saves them in your own collection and turns you into an art collector. You will have your own inspiring Boijmans collection, always within reach!

Het depot

Jacco Ouwerkerk

Also want to engage a larger audience? Contact Jacco Ouwerkerk

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