FotoFest, a Houston-based contemporary arts nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing photography and visual culture, organizes a city-wide biennial project in the form of large-scale central exhibitions, curated lectures, performances, a symposium, and film programs.
For 16 years, with my role shifting between Account Management, Project Management, Creative Direction and UI/UX design, I partnered with FotoFest to design a new, visually immersive website for each Biennial photography festival. Each experience was tailored to reflect that year’s unique artistic theme while presenting extensive information featuring an expansive schedule of over 120 exhibitions, talks, performances, and film programs without overwhelming visitors.
Each streamlined interface allowed visitors to easily explore content and navigate events, not only elevating the user experience but aligning the digital presentation with FotoFest’s artistic identity.
Each design delivered a measurable impact.
During the 2016 Biennial, site traffic peaked at 1,906 sessions in a single day, with visitors spending over three minutes on the site, an indication of strong content engagement.
Returning visitors made up 64% of the audience, showing that the site effectively supported repeat exploration and planning.
Mobile traffic more than quadrupled from the 2014 Biennial and made up nearly 40% of total sessions, validating our focus on responsive, mobile-friendly design.
These results underscore how strategic UX and design choices significantly improved usability, strengthened audience retention, and enhanced the festival’s digital presence.
