Diving Deep into Digital: Our Underwater Museum Website Design for UMA
- Brand Focus
- Apr 27, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 28
At Brand Focus, we're passionate about bringing unique visions to life, especially when they involve groundbreaking projects that blend art, conservation, and technology. Our long-standing collaboration with the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA), North America’s first permanent underwater sculpture garden, is a testament to this commitment. Since its inception in 2010, the UMA – a pioneering collaboration between the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) and the South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) – has gained national accolades and attracted sell-out crowds, solidifying its place as a premier attraction in Northwest Florida.
Launching a Landmark Digital Presence
From the very beginning, Brand Focus was selected to design and build the museum’s inaugural website. Located in the Gulf of Mexico at a depth of approximately 60 feet, serving as a vibrant gallery for its initial installation of seven sculptures, the UMA demanded a digital presence as unique as its mission. Our goal for the initial Underwater Museum Website Design was to communicate two key aspects: the captivating art and the dynamic, evolving nature of an living underwater gallery. Rather than relying solely on static photography, we incorporated vibrant color, created unique digital artwork, and utilized JavaScript easing and layered animation throughout the site to convey a sense of fluid movement and life.
Beyond the aesthetics, we built a robust, secure, and e-commerce capable website, seamlessly integrating with their event scheduling, ticketing, and volunteer management applications. We also provided extensive professional photography, capturing the artworks, key fundraising events, and the dramatic installation of the sculptures. This initial Underwater Museum Website Design helped garner considerable national attention, with our graphics and photography featured by media outlets including Architectural Digest and the Smithsonian Institution.
Evolving with Growth: The Redesign
Years later, as the UMA continued to grow – with new juried sculptural works from artists worldwide installed annually – the need arose for a fresh digital evolution. Brand Focus was once again trusted to develop a new design that incorporated the valuable lessons learned since the museum’s opening. Central to this redesigned Underwater Museum Website Design was the creation of an interactive, scalable, and visually dynamic map. This innovative feature precisely displays the position of each artwork within the underwater garden, offering photos and additional details to enhance the visitor's experience, whether planning a dive or exploring from shore.
Our ongoing partnership with UMA also includes producing vivid catalog photography of each year’s art installation and its deployment in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as providing event photography for numerous successful fundraisers held at Grand Boulevard. Brand Focus is proud to support the UMA’s mission through cutting-edge Underwater Museum Website Design, helping to connect art, marine life, and a global audience.
