The project set out to do something unprecedented: create the first true digital encyclopedia of the classical violin, bringing together history, repertoire, makers, performers, sound, and image in a single interactive environment. At a time when the web was still largely static, this CD-ROM demonstrated what rich, exploratory digital knowledge systems could be.

My contribution focused on interaction design elements that shaped how users navigated this vast body of content. I worked on the violinists’ biographies and on the curved navigation system embedded in the head of the violin—an interface that translated the physical form of the instrument into a functional, intuitive navigational metaphor. It was an early exercise in spatial and object-based navigation, long before such ideas became common in digital interfaces.

The CD-ROM was built around a sophisticated database that allowed both exploratory browsing—through thousands of interconnected links—and precise multi-criteria search across composers, works, performers, and makers. Advanced features such as a 3D chronological interface and a richly illustrated media library placed the project firmly at the forefront of interactive design at the time.

Published by Éditions Montparnasse and produced by Magic Media for Accord Parfait, Le Violon became a bestseller in France and received numerous international awards, including the FNAC Flèche d’Or and the Prix Möbius Art & Culture. For me, it represents an early foundation in designing complex cultural systems—where interface, content, and narrative structure are inseparable—and a formative step in a long-term engagement with digital storytelling and knowledge design.