Why the homepage is a dashboard

Data comes before storytelling

A digital observatory should not force visitors to search for the data. Data must be the first thing visible.

This is why Ivrea Observatory uses the dashboard as its homepage. It is not a design shortcut: it is an identity choice. The site was not created to present an abstract project, but to observe in real time.

The main page must immediately answer simple questions: what is the weather like? Is it windy? Is it raining? Is it dark? Is the Moon disturbing observation? Is there lightning?

A dashboard readable on mobile too

The first inspiration is a weather app: large numbers, immediate cards, simple icons and little unnecessary decoration.

On mobile, the page must remain compact. On desktop, it can breathe more, but without turning into a brochure. The balance is a dashboard that uses the space well and remains readable at a glance.

The menu must not steal the scene

Journal, About, Privacy and Cookie are important, but they should not compete with the dashboard. That is why the desktop menu is minimal and the mobile menu becomes a side burger menu.

The lightning section is not in the main menu: it is a dashboard feature. It makes sense to reach it from the “Lightning” card, not treat it as an institutional page.