Ottawa+Art+Gallery

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 * Ottawa Art Gallery**

This is the website for the Ottawa Art Gallery. People who would use this site includes those who are planning to visit the gallery and would like to take a look at when the events are or get a sneak peak at the works that will be displayed, those who are just looking for a database of artworks and those who are looking to buy art from the gallery.
 * What it is and who would use it**

This website has a global navigation at the top and at the side. The top pages include Contemporary Collection, Firestone Collection of Canadian Art and Exhibition Connection, which seems to branch off into a page that looks totally different.
 * Information architecture**

//Top navigation:// The side menu contains the bulk of information for most users. More links will appear when clicking on a certain section. Given the type of people who would visit their site, the first few links there contain information about their events and exhibitions, followed by information for art buyers and finally their about page and membership pages at the bottom. //Side navigation: //

The visual design is plain and minimal. A banner at the very top is consistent throughout the pages and only contains a blue gradient box along with the name and logo of the gallery. The layout of the site is centered and the content is framed by a blue box. Descriptions of the events and exhibitions are often accompanied with images but they are rather small. Nonetheless, that could generate enough interest for people to go see the actual piece in the gallery. When it comes to the buying or renting art page though, the gallery seems to have no qualm about putting up a larger picture of the pieces.
 * Visual design**

//Actual size:// While on the bland side for the visual design, it is quite easy to navigate around the site. The three big buttons for the global navigation at the top are a bit confusing in their labeling but the dates, names and information about events going on are one of the first things you see on the sidebar.
 * Usability**

Content is grouped by the links in the sidebar while the first two links at the top go to a page within the collections page. For some reason, the collections page is the only page that doesn’t expand and collapse with more links like the other pages despite having at least 2 different pages (contemporary collection and firestone of Canadian art). Pictures of works are found throughout the site giving the user a preview of the gallery. For each past event, there also seems to be a logo attached to it.
 * Content**

The OAG site is not very visually appealing even with the inclusion of pictures in each section to give a preview of the show. However, the architecture of the content and site still makes it easy to navigate through and find the information you want. The pictures included in the event information pages are small once you have reached the page through a bigger thumbnail or through the sidebar.
 * Synthesis**

All images are from the Ottawa Art Gallery site.
 * Cited works**