How do you make a 30-year archive more accessible, searchable, and editor-friendly?
Artangel came to us needing a web platform to showcase an archive spanning three decades. One where editors could publish independently, WCAG AA standards were met, and the distinctive identity shined through. We crafted an interactive platform that empowered the team, embodied the brand, and made the site easier for everyone to use.
TL;DR – the top takeaways
1.5k pages and 1.3k content modules migrated
to a new flexy CMS that saves editors time
80+ projects surfaced
across 400 active pages for increased content discovery
300+ videos and audio clips unearthed
making more complex content findable
WCAG AA standards met
with accessibility from the start, not an afterthought
Editors empowered
using content blocks that make publishing easy
Brand identity preserved
so Artangel didn't lose its distinct personality
Extraordinary art in unexpected places
For more than 30 years, Artangel has commissioned and produced the kind of works that don't hang in galleries – they hum in the bones of cities, echo through disused tube stations, and linger in prison cells.
There’s no red tape here. No polite white walls or hushed curators. Instead, you might find:
- A church crypt turned into a sound chamber
- An abandoned council flat coated in blue crystals
- A Croydon Wetherspoons stuffed with postcards, Polly Pockets, and a carpet-clad Ford Escort
Together, this tapestry of site-specific artworks stretch the imagination and defy categorisation. So it was vital that the nonprofit's digital platform did the same.
Cursive patiently listened to our needs and offered design solutions at each step of the process, creating bespoke elements to address the numerous exceptional cases for each type of page we required.
The challenge:
Make it work for all but keep it unmistakably Artangel
Artangel’s previous website was as distinctive as its projects, but not always easy to use. Built more than a decade ago to archive past exhibitions and projects, it couldn’t keep up with the charity’s evolving needs.
Text overlapped images. Navigation danced around unpredictably. And behind the scenes, the Django CMS required a 60-page user manual just to operate.
The team didn’t want to lose the character that made their site so unmistakably Artangel, but they did want to:
- Improve accessibility to make the platform inclusive and effortless for everyone to use.
- Move to a more user-friendly CMS, giving editors and digital coordinators creative freedom to shape, manage, and scale content.
- Surface buried-but-important legacy content, such as podcasts, films, audio, and essays.
In short: less rigidity, more possibility. Retain the magic, remove the friction.
Making sense of Artangel’s unique organisational outputs was a challenge Cursive took up in stride. The result is a flexible CMS and clean front-end design that allows us to build pages that match our diverse programme whilst maintaining our brand identity.
The impact: Content made easier to publish, search, navigate, and act on
Artangel’s new site is familiar yet frictionless. It preserves its offbeat charm while opening the door wider than ever to supporters. It’s:
Accessible
Meeting WCAG AA standards, accessibility isn’t an afterthought – it’s built in to reduce risks from the start. Plus, the platform adapts seamlessly to various devices and screen sizes, wherever they are in the world.
Flexible
After years of dusty manuals, editors now have a CMS that makes sense. Wagtail’s StreamField blocks let them flex their artistic muscles, bringing long-form features, sound, and moving images together in endlessly creative combinations. No dev dependency, faster publishing, less time wasted.
Discoverable
The team now have the ability to creatively resurface long lost films, essays, and sound pieces that sat buried under hundreds of pages. They can connect audiences with new ideas and work, while extending the afterlife and legacy of past projects.
An infinite platform to help content travel further
Artangel’s team weren’t looking to reinvent themselves. They simply wanted their digital presence to feel as inclusive, intuitive, and alive as the work itself – whether that unfolds in a disused power station or exists purely online. And now, it does. It’s still eccentric. Still full of rabbit holes and surprise rooms. But it finally invites you in – accessible, flexible, and joyful to edit. The archive isn’t a static record anymore, but a living, breathing universe of art – ready for whatever comes next.
The process:
From exhibits to exploration
Discovery
We began, as we always do, with conversation – deep discovery to understand Artangel’s content, people, and purpose. What needed to stay? What needed to evolve? Together, we agreed a complete rebuild wasn’t necessary – we could achieve transformation with a light-touch redesign.
Wireframing
We designed new templates inspired by the old site’s best elements, introducing new content blocks that put editors in control. We reorganised and revamped the site’s skeleton, so that:
- The homepage became a map, not a maze
- Project pages became living stories where image, sound, and film breathe together
- Collections gained a clear, repeatable process for digital exhibition request
- Buried content was unearthed, findable, relevant, and easy to act on
Design
We saw how the essence of Artangel was invitation and interaction, not intimidation. So we designed a user journey that works the same way as the cultural changemaker does: encouraging visitors to wander through its worlds, rather than scroll straight through them.
Migration and build
We migrated and reformed nearly 1,500 pages and 1,300 content modules from the old Django CMS to a brand new Wagtail CMS – a platform that’s as flexible and creative as Artangel’s team. Editors can now publish confidently, no manuals or developers required.
What we learned
The task wasn’t to redesign from scratch, but to translate the Artangel’s unique essence into an easy-to-use platform. We only stripped away features that obstructed, and only added what delighted – we’re really proud of how it all balances clarity with curiosity.
