The Art World and The World Wide Web 2012

for richness of features and elegance of design. The iPad appears to be tailor-made for the art world. The slate-like design is compelling and sexy, one of those rare aesthetic and practical triumphs we can all admire, and it is hardly surprising that iPads are showing up as the de rigueur accessory at galleries and art fairs. The appeal is easy to explain—the device offers crisp and vibrant content viewing in a form factor that is substantially larger than a smart phone but almost as portable. Moreover, the iPad is a very capable platform for a host of activities usually associated with laptop or desktop computers. Part of the appeal, of course, is the novelty factor and the superb craftsmanship. But, with over 7 million iPads selling in the last quarter of 2010 alone, there is no question this category of device is here to stay. As of this writing, other manufacturers are set to roll out their tablet products (including Google’s Honeycomb and T-Mobile’s G-Slate, both Android-based tablets) and there is a lot of buzz about the next version of the iPad. For gallerists, the iPad represents a significant marketing opportunity. It’s perfectly suited to the display of artworks, and the portability of the iPad gives users the freedom to use it on the fly. As iPads and other tablets proliferate, gallerists can expect to see an increasing number of their patrons using them to browse the Web, email, Tweet, watch videos and movies, read books, update their own websites, pay their bills, and perform a myriad of other tasks. What sets the iPad apart is the exquisite viewing experience, the convenient size, and the user-friendly touch interface.

In terms of website design, for gallery owners to get the most out of the iPad’s capabilities they need to recognize the 70