Hotburo case study: concept and design of Insight UA for the Ukrainian Institute — a platform presenting Ukrainian culture to an international audience.
Insight UA is a Ukrainian Institute project to support and promote Ukrainian culture and art internationally. Hotburo developed the concept and design of the website, which became a platform for Ukrainian film, music, theatre and other parts of the country’s cultural life.
- Client: Ukrainian Institute
- Industry: culture
- What we did: web platform concept and design
- Audience: international partners, cultural institutions, journalists and anyone interested in Ukrainian culture
The challenge
The platform had to do more than report cultural news: it had to inspire people to explore Ukrainian art more deeply. The site needed to be modern, intuitive and reflect how many-sided the culture is.
Concept: content first
We chose a minimalist style so that articles, videos and photos stay at the centre. A simple, clean design makes navigation easy and works with very different visual materials.
Colours
- Black — the main background: depth, stability and trust.
- White — text blocks and contrast for easy reading.
- Yellow — the accent, standing for energy and national identity.
- Beige — a warm neutral background and a gentle divider between sections.
For event categories — from performance to film premieres — we created a set of pastel blues and yellows. A deep crimson is reserved for the Russian war against Ukraine category: it represents the pain Russia inflicts on Ukrainians and on our cultural identity.
Typefaces and details
Text is set in the Ukrainian Institute’s own typeface: straight, clean lines feel modern, and fine serifs add classic elegance. Logical navigation connects the sections, photos and videos sit naturally in the pages, and sliders and animated panels add movement.
The result
Insight UA combines modern design with deep content: it meets the expectations of an international audience while keeping its national character — a cultural bridge between Ukraine and the world.
FAQ
What is Insight UA?
A Ukrainian Institute platform presenting Ukrainian film, music, theatre and other cultural events to an international audience.
Why do categories have different colours?
Pastel tones help tell event types apart, while deep crimson marks the theme of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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