Grab a cuppa, get comfy and have a nosy around :)

Back

Walking in Air

walkinginair.com

Share

Walking in Air is a visionary project, led by Emmanuelle Waeckerlé (University of the Creative Arts) and Will Montgomery (Royal Holloway, University of London). Working across the disciplines of Poetry, Music and Fine Art, Walking in Air unites the act of walking with the intangible element of air, inviting critical reflection and creative exploration. Having worked with Emmanuelle Waeckerlé previously, we were thrilled to be asked to brand, design and develop the website for this project.

Three cheerful people strolling down a grassy path, flanked by expansive green fields. Overhead, the sky is a swirling mix of dark clouds and bright blue patches, creating an idyllic outdoor scene.
Credits

Branding and UX Design: Katie Gee

UI Design: Katie Gee and Cecilia Righini

Development: Nata Sheketa

Branding

We wanted Walking in Air to feel breathable and natural to align with the project. The colour palette consists of cream and mint shades, complemented by accents of deep sand and muted tertiary colours for the background, which has the additional advantage of allowing images to stand out effectively. The selected fonts include Manrope for the main typography, providing a clean and modern look, and Darker Grotesque for titles. These design elements work together to evoke a sense of tranquillity and connection with the project’s core themes.

Image description: Black capital letters spell out WALKING IN AIR against a light background. To the right, a minimalist line drawing depicts a bird in flight.

A colour palette with four distinct squares, each showing a label and hex code: Top left displays Cream (#F3EFEA), top right features Mint (#E1EFE6), bottom left presents Black (#333333), and bottom right showcases Sand (#6D614D).

Image displaying two font samples: Darker Grotesque Bold featuring uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numbers; and Manrope Regular showcasing uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numbers.

Image description: Black capital letters spell out WALKING IN AIR against a light background. To the right, a minimalist line drawing depicts a bird in flight.

A colour palette with four distinct squares, each showing a label and hex code: Top left displays Cream (#F3EFEA), top right features Mint (#E1EFE6), bottom left presents Black (#333333), and bottom right showcases Sand (#6D614D).

Image displaying two font samples: Darker Grotesque Bold featuring uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numbers; and Manrope Regular showcasing uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numbers.

Website

The website design embraces spaciousness, using ample white space to create a sense of breathability, and subtly referencing the white space of an art gallery. This intentional use of whitespace allows the artworks and content to take centre stage. The overall style of the website aligns with Emmanuelle Waeckerlé’s personal site, which we also had the pleasure of designing, ensuring a visual continuity between the two projects.

Screenshot of a websites Works page titled WALKING IN AIR. The menu includes options: About, Events, Works, Resources, and Contact. The main section presents a mix of monochrome and colour images, categorised under Fieldwork and Traces.
A screen showcasing a website section titled Resources with an alphabetical list of names. It includes figures such as Ryoko Akama, Antoine Beuger, and Francis Ebéline, identified as artists, composers, poets, or linguists. Each entry features a Find Out More button.

As you navigate the site, you’ll notice the bird illustration we animated for the cursor. When the visitor moves (or flies) around the site, the bird is in flight, and when you land on a link, the illustration changes to a bird perching. In terms of functionality, we implemented a user-friendly filtering system to help visitors navigate the site and find specific works, events and resources.

Responsive Design

The Walking in Air website has been designed to be fully responsive, adapting to various devices. The layout dynamically adjusts depending on the screen size of the visitor’s device. For example, on mobile devices, the menu is optimised to occupy the entire screen, and the gallery of images stack singularly. This approach guarantees a clean and uncluttered interface, prioritising ease of use.

Two photos feature a group of people strolling along a grassy path beneath a cloudy sky. The text WALKING IN AIR appears at the top. The left photo is captioned Walking in air in Ditchling, while the right one reads Walking up air in Ditchling.

Mobile website interface displaying upcoming events. The left screen shows a single event with a prominent image, while the right screen presents multiple events in a list layout. Each listed event features a small image accompanied by descriptive text.

Two mobile screens showcasing a photography portfolio. The left screen features nature photographs with a drop-down menu labelled Type. The right screen displays a grid of diverse black-and-white images, including nature scenes and portraits. The header reads Walking in Air.

Two white mobile screens on a light green background show a list titled Resources. Names are organised alphabetically with roles such as Artist/Composer, Poet, and Curator/Producer. Each name includes a Find Out More button.

Two photos feature a group of people strolling along a grassy path beneath a cloudy sky. The text WALKING IN AIR appears at the top. The left photo is captioned Walking in air in Ditchling, while the right one reads Walking up air in Ditchling.

Mobile website interface displaying upcoming events. The left screen shows a single event with a prominent image, while the right screen presents multiple events in a list layout. Each listed event features a small image accompanied by descriptive text.

Two mobile screens showcasing a photography portfolio. The left screen features nature photographs with a drop-down menu labelled Type. The right screen displays a grid of diverse black-and-white images, including nature scenes and portraits. The header reads Walking in Air.

Two white mobile screens on a light green background show a list titled Resources. Names are organised alphabetically with roles such as Artist/Composer, Poet, and Curator/Producer. Each name includes a Find Out More button.

Related Projects

Homepage design in light mode of Emmanuelle Waeckerlé's website on desktop
Emmanuelle Waeckerlé

Multidisciplinary artist exploring language, music, and performance to deepen creative connections.

Invitation screen titled Falling in Every Direction displaying a paused video of an individual wrapping their hair. The background transitions from green to peach. Navigation links are located at the top.
Falling in Every Direction

Circus artistry by Francesca Hyde, blending performance with feminist academic themes.