Depot app wins Webby Award

The Depot app of Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen has been awarded a Webby Award - known as the Oscars of the internet world - by the professional jury of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. With this app, users always have the Rotterdam collection in their pocket.

Last week, the prestigious Webby Awards were announced and the Depot app won the category Apps and Software, Art, Culture, and Events 2022. It was awarded the distinction of best app for the promotion and improvement of the experience of art, events and cultural institutions. The annual Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, the leading organisation for recognising exceptional performers on the internet. Previous winners of the prize include NASA, MoMA, Spotify and HBO. The Depot app was developed by Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in partnership with IN10 and thonik.

Visual stories

Using the Depot app, visitors can experience the stories behind the art works in Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen. They scan the QR codes on the showcases and the depot compartments, and this allows them to watch interactive visual stories and put together their own collection. In the depot, the art works are displayed in showcases and are stored in the depot compartments. Each room has a QR code, with which people can access more information about the works of art. Many works have an interactive story, full of facts, titbits of knowledge, photos, video, audio and challenging visual questions. The app challenges visitors to look actively, and this allows them to discover more. When text panels are missing, the app is a welcome addition to the experience and gives the most important information for ten thousands items: who made it, in what year, with what materials and techniques, its dimensions and more. The app contains the floor plans of the six floors of the depot, plus a summary of what is going on in the depot on the day of the user’s visit. The app was conceived, designed and developed with DOOR - the culture label of IN10. The house style of the depot was designed by thonik. The floor plan and dashboard in the app by Silo.

About the Webbys

The Webbys have been organised since 1996, in the early years of the interet, by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) - a jury body with more than 2,000 members. The Academy consists of Executive Members, prominent experts, business people, stars, visionaries and creative celebrities, such as Kerstin Emhoff, Co-Founder & CEO – PRETTYBIRD; Colleen DeCourcy, President, Wieden+Kennedy; Arlan Hamilton, Founder & Managing Partner – Backstage Capital; John Hanke, Founder & CEO – Niantic; Nikole Hannah-Jones, Creator – 1619, The New York Times; Renita Jablonski, Director of Audio – The Washington Post; Mikael Jørgensen, Founder & CEO – &Co; Monica Lewinsky, Activist, Fashion Designer & Producer; Swizz Beatz & Timbaland, Music Producers & Co-Founders – Verzuz; Vanessa Pappas, COO – TikTok; Daniel Reynolds, Vice President, Digital Media – Disney; Dara Treseder, SVP,  Head of Global Marketing & Communications – Peloton; Maya Watson, Head of Global Marketing – Clubhouse. The Associate Members include writers and editors of publications such as The New York Times, Wired, Details, Fast Company, ELLE, The Los Angeles Times, Vibe and Wallpaper.