How do you make 1.2 million objects feel discoverable, relevant and inspiring to every visitor — whether they’re searching with purpose or browsing out of curiosity?
At the V&A, Explore the Collections is the digital gateway to our collections, spanning thousands of years of human creativity. In early 2024, we set out to redesign the landing page — not just to modernise its look and feel, but to ensure it reflects the richness of the collection and supports the wide range of visitor interests, intentions and needs.
This blog shares our approach and what we’ve learnt in creating a more intuitive, flexible and inspiring entry point into the collection.
See more blogs by our Digital Media Team here.
Why we needed a new approach
When the previous landing page launched in 2021, it brought together ‘Search the Collections’ and ‘From the Collections’ into a unified view. While it was clean and functional, it hadn’t significantly evolved — and user expectations had.
Recent research revealed some recurring challenges:
- “[You] have to know collections when search[ing], can’t just follow what looks interesting”
- “Exploring the collection is not easy”
- “It’s quite a lot of rectangles. It reminds me of and old [website]”
- “Page looks dull and a bit boring”
The experience didn’t always support different types of engagement. Whether visitors arrived with a clear goal or were simply exploring, they often struggled to find a compelling way in. It was clear the landing page needed to evolve — to better reflect the scale and significance of the collection, and to invite a wider range of users to explore it in ways that suited them.
Grounded in user insight
We began with a discovery phase: reviewing analytics, recent user studies, and findings from the V&A’s commissioned User Modes research with Mace & Menter — which explored how different people engage with the collections online.
We learnt that users interact with the collection in diverse ways:
- Some seek a specific object, date or material.
- Others browse for inspiration or leisure.
- Many look for stories, themes or deeper context.
- Some want to understand what they can see in person.
These distinct behaviours had to be supported within a single, flexible design — one that welcomed both curiosity and intent.
Designing around goals
We defined four core goals to guide the redesign:
- Make a strong first impression. Communicate what the collection is and why it matters.
- Support open-ended exploration. Create entry points for visitors who aren’t sure what they’re looking for.
- Encourage deeper engagement. Surface stories, context and unexpected connections.
- Bridge the digital and physical. Help users understand what can be explored online — and seen in person.
What’s new in the design?
A welcoming editorial hero area
The new page opens with a curated visual experience. It highlights themes, objects and stories in a way that feels manageable — offering inspiration without overwhelming.
Multiple ways to explore
We gave equal emphasis to search, thematic groupings, editorial articles and individual objects — recognising that no two users take the same path.
A rich editorial carousel
A new carousel surfaces stories behind the objects, encouraging serendipitous discovery and emotional connection.
Improved thematic access
A redesigned scroller allows users to browse ‘From the Collections’ themes — offering intuitive starting points based on periods, materials or ideas.
Clearer connections to physical displays
We’ve added ‘On display’ tags and gallery location data to object cards, helping users see which items are in the galleries — and how online and in-person exploration connect.
This work also supports the development of our new service, Order an Object, which enables visitors to request access to items in our stores for study or research.
What’s next?
This new landing page is a significant step forward — but it’s just the beginning.
Over the coming months, we’ll:
- Monitor how visitors use the page
- Refine navigation and onward journeys
- Expand storytelling and editorial content
- Continue to improve performance and accessibility
This is part of a wider strategy to help people discover, explore and connect with the V&A’s collections online.
We’d love to know what you think. Visit the new page at vam.ac.uk/collections — and tell us how it’s helping you find your way in.
Thanks for the team’s hard work on this – it’s certainly a lot clearer, easier to use, and more engaging. I found a few items by chance that really appealed and inspired me to see them in the gallery or by appointment. My only request for now is a function to save favourites please.