This was the online auction catalogue and event site for the 2012 Vancouver Art Gallery Auction and Gala, Desire. I created a simple HTML microsite to showcase the works up for auction, provide ticket pricing and event information, recognize sponsors, and present the auction catalogue, which included trips and other luxury items. The Vancouver Art Gallery Art Auction is the Gallery’s signature annual fundraising event, designed to engage the public and secure donor support. Proceeds from the event support the Gallery’s exhibitions and programs.

Desire was the 2012 Art Auction theme for the Vancouver Art Gallery. It represented opulence, sophistication and intrigue. I tried to convey the theme through the structure of the website and by using a muted palette of Gold, Ivory, White and a Soft Grey, and a serif-font with understated ornateness. The site design was clean, classic, rich in key information without being visually over powering, and user friendly, while the menus and descriptions complimented rather than competed with the artworks, adding a cohesiveness to the web experience for the event.

Drawing from the simplicity and elegance of the auction’s wordmark and typeface, I designed a clean, distraction-free microsite focused on showcasing the artwork. I wanted the colour scheme and look to read lux and minimal. The site included a simple main navigation for the following sections:

• About

• Tickets

• Artists

• Support

In the “Artists” section, there was a sub-navigation based on alphabetical groupings of artists' last names (e.g., A–C, D–F, etc.). Within each grouping, individual artists were listed alphabetically to allow users to browse efficiently.

I also created several collateral pieces for the auction, including the menu, signage, table cards and digital slides for screen displays at the event space.

Vancouver Art Gallery