When an institution’s digital home has to serve both a curious first-time museum visitor and a scholar hunting for a decades-old publication, the design challenge is anything but simple. That balancing act is now at the center of a newly launched website for the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC), a project two years in the making.
The collaboration makes more than a century of scholarship, museum collections, and public programs easier to discover.
STAUFFER, a digital strategy, design, and development agency based in Los Angeles, announced its work on the redesigned site, which went live September 28, 2026. The new platform aims to help scholars, educators, museum visitors, and global audiences navigate the institute’s extensive resources.
The project grew out of more than two years of planning, consultation, design, and development led by ISAC itself. Community input helped shape priorities, and STAUFFER worked alongside the institute to translate those needs into the site’s structure, look, and functionality.
For an institution whose work spans archaeological expeditions, ancient languages, scholarly publishing, and museum collections, the core challenge was making a vast array of materials approachable for people with widely different interests and levels of expertise. STAUFFER applied user testing, design, and development to create clearer pathways through the repository of research on West Asia and North Africa.
“A website like ISAC’s has to welcome curiosity at every level,” said Chris Stauffer, CEO of STAUFFER. “Someone arriving to plan a museum visit and a scholar looking for a decades-old publication need different things from the same website. Working closely with ISAC helped us understand those needs and create an experience that serves both.”
ISAC, founded in 1919, investigates the languages, histories, and cultures of ancient West Asia and North Africa. Its museum translates that scholarship for the public through artifacts, galleries, and exhibitions. The new website supports both sides of the mission, linking research resources with opportunities to visit, learn, and participate.
Improved search functionality helps readers navigate ISAC’s extensive publication archive and identify scholars and research projects. Educators and families can find learning opportunities, while museum visitors can access exhibition information and plan their visits. Thousands of preserved links ensure that resources cited and shared over the years—both domestically and internationally—remain accessible.
“This update had to meet several objectives concurrently, providing unparalleled access to one of the best collections in the world to the widest audience, but also to foster a feeling of belonging and shared knowledge to our community. In that regard, consistency and ergonomics were crucial pillars of the website’s new design,” said Josh Tulisiak, ISAC Museum Senior Designer.
The site runs on Drupal’s open-source content management system, with Drupal Canvas giving faculty and staff a visual interface for creating and updating pages. Reusable page elements simplify the process of sharing discoveries, highlighting exhibitions and collections, and promoting events—reducing dependence on developers for routine updates. Accessibility was built into the design and development process, with attention to keyboard navigation and usability across devices.
The platform also gives ISAC a consistent approach to organizing and reusing content as its research, publications, and public programs grow. That foundation supports future improvements and connections with other digital resources, allowing the institute to build on its investment over time.
Visitors to isac.uchicago.edu can also learn about an upcoming exhibition at the ISAC Museum. The show tells the story of Hartapu, a little-known king whose recently discovered inscription is reshaping the history of Iron Age Anatolia. Curated by James Osborne and organized by the ISAC Museum, the exhibition is supported by ISAC members and museum visitors. It runs from September 17, 2026, through March 14, 2027.
About STAUFFER
Founded in 2001 and based in Los Angeles, STAUFFER combines strategy, design, and engineering to help organizations create digital experiences aligned with their goals. The agency works with clients from initial planning through launch and ongoing support, building websites, applications, and connected digital platforms. More information is available at stauffer.com.
About the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures
The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC) at the University of Chicago advances the study of ancient civilizations in West Asia and North Africa through scholarship, research, and archaeological discovery. Founded in 1919 by James Henry Breasted with support from John D. Rockefeller Jr., the institute integrates research, collections, and public education. Its museum opened to the public in 1931 and houses collections drawn largely from ISAC expeditions during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Learn more at isac.uchicago.edu.
Cherise Williamson
STAUFFER
+1 424-239-6025
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Facebook
Why it matters: This redesign shows how cultural institutions can modernize their digital presence without sacrificing depth or accessibility. By pairing open-source flexibility with user-centered design, ISAC has created a model for making specialized academic resources genuinely useful to a broad public audience—a challenge many research organizations will face in the years ahead.
