Juror Spotlight
Julia Prior, Head of Digital Media, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
Julia Prior is the recently appointed Head of Digital Media at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
She was previously Experience Director at Impossible Bureau, an interactive agency that specializes in creating bespoke digital experiences for web, mobile, and AR. With a background in technology, UX and management, she has also held roles at R/GA, Fantasy, Publicis, and several other digital agencies in New York and Sydney. Throughout her career, she has led cross-functional teams and contributed to the definition and delivery of a wide range of digital products and campaigns.
Julia is passionate about digital transformation and the potential for digital experiences to inspire, delight, teach, and genuinely help people.
When did you know that this career is what you wanted to do?
I knew I was meant to have a career in digital media when I quit my law degree and taught myself Photoshop and HTML.
What led you to your current work?
At the beginning of my career I was drawn to the web for its ability to quickly communicate ideas on-screen with text, image and sound. In my current work I’ve come full circle – I get to really focus again on the user and the message, but now the formats and possibilities are seemingly endless, so the work is more fun and challenging than ever before.
What areas of emerging tech & media are you interested in exploring?
I’m eager to experiment with immersive interfaces, and interfaces for iOT devices.
Do you have any brainstorming rituals?
I love and rely on my digital tools, but I always prefer to start with pen and paper or my tablet to capture my initial thoughts. I also like to research outside of my domain to find inspiration. Organizing my ideas comes later.
What makes a great website?
A great website is flawlessly designed, has an intuitive taxonomy, and motion that contributes to the content and the story.
What’s a physical experience you’d like to bring into the digital world?
The feeling of drinking your first cup of coffee in the morning.
What are you looking for in entries to the w3 Awards?
I’ll be looking for entries that have been designed specifically with the audience and medium in mind, and that have a unique point of view, either in the aesthetics or content.