National Open Art Competition

The Brief

In April 2008, the Chichester Art Trust who run the National Open Art Competition came to Mzuri with the task of moving their artist registration and image submission online for the 2009 competition. At that point, as they are a charity, they did not have the funds available to go for a complete redesign of the website so we were asked to come up with a solution within their budget. For the 2010 competition we have now completed the design and build of their new website complete with an integrated exhibition database management system.

The Solution

Following the work completed on the site in 2008/2009 we were comissioned to build the new website for the 2010 competition - now open for entries! The team at Mzuri and the National Open Art Competition met to kick start the process, identifying the key functionality of the website as well as discussing the look and feel, which was equally important given the subject matter of the site.

They wanted to produce an exciting site with news updates, press coverage and lots of images of the art and the competition process.  They also needed the site to be easy to navigate for all types of users.  The competition management is controlled by an integrated database and content management system, which is also links to an email marketing system for the various competition updates which need to be sent out.  There is also a secure login to allow different users access to specific areas of the site dedicated to them, such as Friends and Ambassadors.  The artist login area takes them to a personal submission area for their entry allowing them to complete the application at their own pace; loading images, uploading a CV, and adding to their entries, to a maximum of six per person, before the deadline of 31 August. We also upgraded the existing ecommerce functionality for the friends from the old site, to now allow artists to pay for their registration and additional entries online. The new and improved website has reduced the administration time involved even further and taken the competition to the next level.

We have also designed new adverts and posters in line with the 2010 website design, presenting a consistent approach to the competition marketing collateral.

The Feedback

The Trust who run the competition are really pleased with the results; so much so that they have recently appointed Mzuri Design to completely redevelop the site and functionality for the 2010 competition. The new site is now live and accepting entries including, for the first time, photographs.

Services Provided
Brand Identity, Event Stationery, Graphic Design, Print Management, Website Development