In January 2009, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum opened a special exhibition titled State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, that examines how the Nazis used propaganda to sway millions with their vision for a new Germany. Reflecting the museum's efforts to keep the Holocaust and its lessons a topic of public discourse, it encourages people to think about how to recognize and respond to propaganda, to understand the potential consequences of it and provokes discussion about responding to hate speech and propaganda today.

In the past, Web sites created in support of this museum’s special exhibitions have essentially been the exhibitions in miniature. This site, however, represents a departure; instead of presenting the exhibition in précis, the Web site is a further exploration of themes. It invites interaction with select content enabling visitors to explore the subject, its legacy and its implications in today's world.

The site structure is based on the exploration of seven themes covered in State of Deception. Each section presents one or more interactive opportunities (quizzes, guided artifacts or poster and film analysis) for exploring the theme more deeply using material from the exhibition and from the museum’s collection. A timeline covers the scope of the exhibition script (1918 through 2008) and provides a chronological context for the content. The museum’s collection is further facilitated in an artifact gallery that can be sorted by theme, date and medium.

• The museum had never envisioned an exhibition Web site with as high a degree of interactivity as used on this site.

• The project took eleven people eight months to complete—on a tight and work-intensive schedule.

• The exhibit will be open for three years at the museum and then travel around the country. Scheduled to continue for seven years beyond the closing of the exhibition, the Web site will continue to be a vital aspect of the initiative throughout the decade.