Museums Platform
a unified digital presence for a decentralized museum network

The Archaeological State Museum of Baden-Württemberg (ALM BW) operates as a decentralized network comprising a main museum, a central artifact archive, and seven branch museums across the state. The main museum and the central archive needed new websites and a shared digital identity to present themselves more cohesively to the public and to streamline internal workflows.

As in-house Digital Manager for User Experience at the main museum in Constance, I was responsible for leading the end-to-end development of a comprehensive digital strategy. Building on this foundation, I created product concepts that were implemented in close cooperation with an external development agency. The project involved a diverse stakeholder group, including the museum’s executive leadership, departments for public relations and educational outreach, as well as the directors of the branch museums. One of the most critical success factors was aligning these different perspectives early on through structured stakeholder workshops, which I facilitated. In parallel, I conducted user research to understand the expectations and needs of both external visitors and internal staff, who were equally important as users of the new platform.

Based on the insights gathered, I developed a streamlined information architecture that focused on central user goals while allowing for depth and exploration where appropriate. The system supports smart content interlinking—for example, artifacts are not only shown within their exhibition context, but can also appear in related research sections; likewise, staff members may be featured in the events they host. This creates a networked experience that mirrors the interdisciplinary nature of museum work. With analytics showing that two out of three users accessed the museum’s website via smartphone, a mobile-first design approach was central throughout the concept and development phases.

The visual identity was crafted to serve both digital and physical contexts. It is based on a scalable design system that enables a consistent yet flexible multibrand appearance for all institutions within the ALM BW network. Typography plays a key role in the brand’s expression: the combination of Suisse Int’l and Suisse Works represents the duality between historical depth and contemporary communication. A system of primary, secondary, and neutral color palettes allows each museum to maintain a unique identity while still aligning with the umbrella brand. Rounded shapes and generous whitespace convey openness and accessibility. Photography, meanwhile, focuses on real visitor experiences and key museum offerings to evoke a sense of presence and relevance.

The result of this comprehensive digital transformation is a robust and modular web platform that unites all ALM BW institutions under a shared digital roof, while enabling each to maintain its own distinct online presence. The effects have been measurable: by combining SEO-driven architecture with clear user flows, we increased overall website traffic by a factor of 4.2 over the course of the platform rollout. Additionally, the introduction of digital booking forms relieved the visitor services teams of approximately 1,800 hours of phone consultation annually.