Tagged Discovery

Stanford Cantor Arts Center

Multi device view of cantor arts homepage template on laptop desktop and tablet

Founded in 1891, the Stanford Cantor Arts Center museum hosts an international collection of more that 38,000 works of art. Their previous website, built in 2006, was outdated and limited. Cantor selected Hook 42 to architect and develop their new responsive, component-based website using Drupal 8.


Design Direction

Beautiful, Image-Rich, Engaging, Modern, Responsive, Design Gap Remediation

Key Features

Rich Media Management, Respects Image Usage Rights, Component-Based Flexible Content Tools, Reusable Content, Event Importer, Modern Front-end Technologies

Summary of Work

Stanford Cantor Arts Center underwent a substantial redesign and needed a development partner to implement the site in Drupal 8. Hook 42 created a solid content strategy and toolkit for the small, non-technical content contributor team to artistically showcase their collections, exhibitions, and events. Our team leveraged web components and a solid pattern library to ensure the branding and display was consistent across pages, regardless of the configuration of the content components. In addition to the beautiful and responsive site, Hook 42 architected and developed a custom integration to the main Stanford events feed to automatically populate museum content on the site over time.

Read the UI Patterns Module article by Ryan Bateman that explores the use of the Drupal module leveraged for the websites modular content creation tools.

We analyzed the bold, photo-centric design to create a flexible, component-driven content strategy for a variety of possible layouts. We surveyed existing Drupal 8 contributed projects and the Stanford Web Services framework prototype to determine the best architecture. We created an automated tool for pulling in Cantor-specific events from the main Stanford events feed while allowing for content customization. In the end, Hook 42 built a successful and robust website for the Cantor Arts Center that simplified content entry while providing great flexibility for showcasing their outstanding art collection.

We continue to help the Cantor team by providing ongoing Drupal 8 maintenance and support. You can learn more about this project by watching the 2019 DrupalCon case study presentation.

Designed layout of 2 column event feed and footer call to action highlighting the cantor building

Reviewing the Work

We held discussions to highlight the thought leadership involved in each step of the process, reviewing key pieces of the project that would be valuable to the Drupal community.

A Cantor Arts Center website case study presentation was delivered by the team at Stanford Drupal Camp 2018. Later, at BADCamp 2018, Kristen Pol and Ryan Bateman presented on the topic. Following the BADCamp presentation was yet another discussion by Kristen Pol and Ryan Bateman at DrupalCon 2019.

User Experience Design

The Hook 42 approach to design creates the most appropriate experience to connect your website with your most valuable asset, humans.

We start by listening to you about your clients, your customers, and their needs. We explore the depths of the internet to see what the competition is doing, and how we can do it better. Ultimately, we want you to be the brightest star in the digital universe, outweighing your biggest competitors. 

Our team can craft an individualized experience tailored to your business goals. With a focus on exceptional user experience, and an importance on inclusivity on the web through accessibility, or team makes sure your digital experiences are more than just content on a page.

Hook 42 User Experience Design

Built with users in mind.

There are many steps to the design process, of which we place equal importance, weighing user experience with your marketing goals. Aligning your purpose with your user is our top priority. Our team provides a wide variety of offerings, including but not limited to:

  • User Research
  • Competitive Landscape Analysis
  • Moodboarding
  • Wireframing
  • In-Medium Website Design
    • Responsive Design
    • Accessible Design
  • Digital Branding
    • Digital Style Guide

Developer Collaboration

Integral to the UX Design process at Hook 42 is collaboration. We consistently lean on the expertise of other areas of website builds to help shape the user journey in the most responsible and inviting way possible. Our team is a constant back-and-forth iteration, helping shape unique experiences grounded by function and sparked with creativity. No design goes to development before being spot-checked, with no exceptions!

Do You Need UX Design?

If you're looking for more than just a website build, but a carefully crafted extension of your brand, Hook 42 is the right choice for you. Our team uses precise research-driven insights, based on your specific goals, to create an experience that aligns with your customer. Reach out today to get your project started.

GovCon 2018 Takeways

We recently returned from Drupal GovCon and have some standout items we want to share. Overall, the experience was a lot of fun. It was exciting to get to watch Adam give the keynote on how to make an impact in the community. At Hook 42 we love giving back to the community, and it was a great reminder of how everyone who wants to give back, can contribute.

Hook42 Team
Drupal GovCon logo