The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture(NMAAHC) carries some of the most important stories in American history. Stories about lived experience, trauma, resistance, and resilience that every generation needs to encounter.
But the museum could only reach the people who could physically be there.
For those who found their way online, the experience didn't hold up. The depth, context, and narrative that made the physical exhibitions powerful didn't travel. What they found was a description of the museum, not the museum itself.
Many of NMAAHC's exhibitions cover some of the most difficult chapters in American history. Translating that weight into a digital experience required more than moving content online. We worked alongside their curators to make deliberate design choices that honored the gravity of each subject, creating space for deeper curatorial interpretation and ensuring that stories often overlooked in the physical gallery could finally find their audience.
Searchable Museum gave curators tools to tell stories in ways the physical gallery never could. We built experiences that go beyond what an in-person visitor can access. Using 3D imaging, interactive components, and video, we brought objects and spaces to life in ways the physical gallery never could. One example: a virtual tour of the interior of the Point of Pines Cabin, a structure that carries profound historical significance. Visitors can explore connections between objects, follow threads across time, and build understanding in ways that are unique to the digital experience.
Making the exhibition work for every visitor was not just a design goal. It was a technical and editorial commitment. We built the site to work across all devices and wrote content to be understood at a range of reading levels. We developed an AI-powered tool that generated alt text for thousands of images, reducing a process that once took multiple team members days to complete to a single review session costing less than $10 a year to operate. And we integrated AI-assisted design tools to ensure every image met the museum's high standards for visual clarity and cultural sensitivity, with human oversight at every step.