Oct 3, 2013
The Canada Council for the Arts was awarded a Silver W³ Award in the category of Best Cultural Institution Website for its new website, canadacouncil.ca, launched in June 2013.
The website was assessed for its creativity, usability, navigation, functionality, visual design and ease of use. The Council is in good company; the only other winner in this category was the Smithsonian Institute in Washington.
A key part of the Canada Council’s digital communications strategy, the website was redesigned to help fulfill the Council’s commitment to bring the arts to life for Canadians and was built in collaboration with bv02, an Ottawa-based digital agency.
The Council’s website follows best practices in structure and accessibility, and uses new technologies to ensure it can be used by the widest possible public on a full range of platforms, computers and mobile devices. Its user-centric design makes it easier for artists and arts organizations to find grant information, for researchers to gather data on the arts, and for arts enthusiasts to discover Canada’s diverse vibrant art scene. Its new focus on social networking encourages online conversations and builds community.
The W³ Awards are sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, a membership-based organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media.
