The 500,000-square-foot Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal draws more than one million visitors annually, making it the 17th most visited museum in the nation, according to a 2009 report by Forbes Traveler. But the institution's website was not keeping pace.

Museum Center asked Openfield Creative to help them solve a number of problems with their existing website. The antiquated design, confusing navigation and lack of modern features and functionality were keeping visitors from discovering important information they needed to plan visits and make purchasing decisions.

Our assignment began with an exploration of the organizations that make up Cincinnati Museum Center. These include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. We also carefully analyzed the many audience groups, ranging from early childhood to empty nesters, and the motivators that drive them to engage with the institution.

The result is a new site designed to allow users to plan their visits by selecting a date, an age group or an area of interest, such as science and technology or local history. For those who prefer a guided experience, pre-selected itineraries developed by Museum Center staff and local mom bloggers can be found as well. In response to popular demand, the site also includes more photos of and information about one of the Museum Center's most important artifacts - the building that houses the institution. This art deco-style National Historical Landmark built in 1933 as a train station called Union Terminal was named among the nation's 50 most important buildings by the American Institute of Architects.

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