Hot off the wire – the new-look V&A website

Associated media

Jenny Kingsley accesses the redesigned V&A website

Every day I pass the Victoria and Albert Museum when I go to the bakery. Sometimes I cross the street and pop into the Museum for a browse. But not everyone has such an advantage, which is why the Internet is such a goldmine of communication and lifelong learning. Websites can take you places you might never have the chance to visit, enrich your mind and – maybe – change your life. Some of the most compelling both inform and encourage viewers to participate in the life of the website community. You meet people, with interests in common, you might never have come across were it not for the Web.

One of the most dynamic museum websites is the recently redesigned property of the Victoria and Albert Museum. While three million people a year visit the Museum (including the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green and the archives in West London), its website is visited by more than 25 million, of whom 70% come from outside the UK. The V&A’s project is certainly worth its bandwidth.

The ‘new’ site has been designed to be that much more than what it was: addictive, easy to navigate, educative, entertaining, imaginative, informative, innovative, lively, richly pictorial and generous with video. But what makes the revamp specifically different from and better than the previous site?

The site has many more images – examples show it is that much more attractive – actually quite stunning. There are many more videos (extremely popular among users) featuring artists, curators and ‘celebrities’, allowing greater insight into life behind the scenes. The V&A Channel can now be viewed full screen.

Each subject page offers more links to related events, sites, information and the over one million objects in the Museum’s collection. So the potential for experiencing what the Museum has to offer is that much greater. Once you access the references, they are not only cross-referenced but suggest other sites to visit, which may not be mentioned on the site you first accessed. There is a more creative, holistic approach to the site.  Moreover, if the subject you are interested in does not yet have its own page, the site will create one for you. It can draw in relevant content from other websites. The site is very thoughtful.

Another deserved accolade is that the site is more interactive, by far, than its predecessor. There are community Web pages so that users with interests in common can talk to each other, create their own V&A profile and share their ideas and artwork. The World Beach Project launched by the V&A has encouraged over 1000 people all over the world to create their own sculptures on beaches and post pictures of their work on the site. More projects reflecting the spirit of this one will feature.

The number of parts of the site that are accessible in other languages is increasing. While the V&A site has been developing, the Museum has also created and continues to enhance its sites for Japan and China. These are devised to suit audiences in these countries so they are not ‘duplicates’ or part-duplicates of the UK site. One for India is being devised. 

My experience of the new V&A site so far is fascinating, though there still seem to be a few glitches, which is not unexpected given the mammoth task of the redesign. Regardless, the site proves that Web browsing is no longer a passive enterprise where the webmaster dictates what you see. It’s flexible – offering the chance of conversation, friendship, making an impact on the world – taking you on a journey outside your door without actually opening it.

By making art so accessible and engaging, the website is part of recent efforts to ensure that art is no longer an elitist, remote realm, that only the educated, with time and money, can appreciate. It makes us see how art can be an everyday pleasure, a source of vitality and companionship. All you need is a computer.