Project gallery design: help visitors find the right work
A project page can contain beautiful images while making it difficult to find a relevant example. Start with the visitor’s task: are they exploring a curated showcase, or comparing work similar to their own requirement? These tasks can have different places within the same website.
Give the showcase and archive different jobs
An animated presentation can introduce a small selection of work on the homepage. Visitors reviewing the full collection also need an archive they can scan. An illustrative architecture studio might feature one house at the entrance while organising the archive into residential, office and hospitality projects. This is a planning example, not a claim about measured results.
Do not make moving cards the only route to a project. When someone wants to investigate an example, keep its name and a clear detail link available.
Build categories around a customer question
Choose a distinction that answers “Which work resembles my requirement?” It might be industry, service or project type. Begin with one understandable system instead of introducing several competing filters. If a project belongs to multiple categories, make counts and labels consistent with that decision.
When filters produce no matches, include a way to show all work again. Avoid replacing familiar category names with internal agency terminology merely to appear distinctive. The right label helps someone select a meaningful group without first learning how your team organises production.
Keep enough information on each card
A brand name, work type and legible image can provide a useful starting point. If the cover emphasises a logo over a blurred screenshot, treat the blur as a presentation choice. The detail page should still provide clear images that allow people to inspect the actual work.
Move extensive explanations to the project page instead of crowding every card. The accessible name of a detail link can identify which project it opens. Review mobile crops to ensure the brand mark remains visible rather than being cut off at an edge.
Let visitors control movement
The W3C carousel pattern addresses previous and next controls and a pause control for automatic rotation. Rotation should stop when keyboard focus enters the content and should not resume without the user requesting it. Include these behaviours in the technical delivery checklist when selecting an animated component.
Our design recommendation is to keep a card still while someone reads it. Provide visible direction controls alongside dragging. Test reduced-motion behaviour for visitors who prefer less movement, and avoid approving the entire experience from a desktop animation recording alone.
Pair quick previews with permanent project URLs
A popup can support a quick look, while a shareable project page supplies fuller context. Closing the window should return people to the same card and position. A “Visit website” link needs a real destination; a link without a target is unfinished functionality.
Explore our project archive to compare content types; this reference is not a performance-test claim. For your own gallery, commission a sample card, empty filter state and detail page together. Agree their implementation as part of the website design scope.
Frequently asked questions
Should every project gallery use a carousel?
No. An animated selection can serve a showcase, while a grid can support scanning and comparison. Choose around the task visitors need to complete.
Is a project page useful when a popup already exists?
A permanent page supports sharing, direct access and detailed context. A popup can complement it as a quick preview.