The Graphic Design and Digital Media departments work on the same floor in the MoMA offices, and though we may disagree on how many overhead fluorescent lights should be on (the correct answer is zero), we all enjoy getting the chance to work together. It’s not often that we get the chance to work on a project from its inception, so the Meet Me website was a unique opportunity.

Screenshot from the Meet Me site

Last week, Ingrid Chou explained the process of creating the lovely Meet Me publication. For the website, we worked with Ingrid and designer Sam Sherman (as well as the Education Department) to translate elements from the publication into a digital format. We also wanted to take advantage of some of the new features and frameworks we created for the MoMA.org redesign.

Sam explained the challenges of creating a design concept for the site: “The online component for Meet Me needed to be accessible for a very broad audience. Our goal in designing the site was that it be engaging, informative, and easy to use, while sharing a distinct visual connection to the publication.”

Once we had the design concept ironed out, we went to work translating this into a functional site. One of my favorite parts of the website is the Perspectives section, especially the audio clips produced in conjunction with StoryCorps. Laurel Humble worked with StoryCorps to record the interviews between MoMA educators and Meet Me participants, and Laurel and I got to play Ira Glass and edit these segments down. Here’s one of my favorite clips of Harold Josephs talking to his wife Florence and son Dan, including an amazing story about a chance encounter in World War II.

As with any site, we’re actively reviewing this first round and planning for the next round of tweaks and updates. It was an honor to be a part of such an important project, and we hope the site can continue to support MoMA’s Community and Access Programs, as well as other organizations, caregivers, and families.