PRESS RELEASE

Baltimore, MD (May 4, 2023)—Astriata, a creative agency with expertise in developing human-centered digital experiences, was named a winner in the 29th Annual Communicator Awards of the Academy of Interactive and Visual Design (AIVA), receiving an Award of Excellence in the “government website” category and an Award of Distinction in the category of “structure and navigation.” Chosen from roughly 3,000 entries from ad agencies, digital agencies, design firms, and public relations firms, Astriata received the award for their work creating a virtual exhibit, Dream Anatomy, for the National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine (NLM), in Bethesda, Maryland.

Created originally in 2002, Dream Anatomy was the first of many virtual exhibitions curated by NLM. It features a collection of anatomical engravings, lithographs, photographs, and other imagery dating from the 15th century (just after the advent of the printing press) to the present day. In celebration of the exhibit’s 20-year anniversary, Astriata worked with NLM to update and relaunch the exhibition and offer users a more responsive, exploratory experience. With Astriata’s new design, users are intentionally encouraged to explore and follow their own instincts and interests, while constructing their own stories as they experience the exhibit, instead of moving in a linear fashion from point A to point Z.

Astriata achieved this more exploratory exhibit by creating a template devoid of the original design’s more traditional linear experience. In Dream Anatomy, for example, viewers can access themes within the exhibit narrative and supporting images through a side navigation—or by dragging or clicking the slide bar at the bottom and moving horizontally through each theme. They can also click within a single slide to access a gallery of thumbnail images. A simple click will take them to an image of choice, with accompanying information that provides socio-historical context, plus information about the imaging technique.

“We thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with the Exhibition Program team at the National Library of Medicine on the redesign of the exhibit website Dream Anatomy, which first launched more than two decades ago,” says Aline Lin, the CEO and creative director of Astriata. “We are also honored to join the other talented and innovative award-winners who value the user experience and prioritize clarity, accessibility, and function in design.”

Another benefit of the design is that NLM plans to use the template Astriata created for Dream Anatomy to update and relaunch a number of legacy exhibits in the organization’s collection. “In this sense, the work we put into the Dream Anatomy template will live on and represents our goal to find efficient, practical solutions for our clients, while meeting our high standard for responsive, UX design,” says Lin.

Explore Dream Anatomy and other winners of AIVA’s 29th Annual Communicator Awards.