A storytelling focused re-design as part of the museum’s transformation into a cultural destination.
Foundling Museum
Role
Designer
Agency
Cog Design
Services
Web Design
User Experience
Design Systems
Described as a hidden gem in London, the Foundling Museum tells the story of the first charity set up to care for babies at risk of abandonment.
The museum’s new website was to be a key part of its transformation into a cultural destination. The goal was to better reflect the museum’s programming, increase footfall (in person and online) and consequently philanthropic support.
Working in partnership with the branding agency, Hat-trick we created a site to tell their whole story, display highlights from their incredible collection, and provide a platform to talk about their community and charitable work.
Honouring the past and embracing the present, the design language was built on juxtaposition.
During the workshop to get to know the organisation, each participant was invited to share an object from the collection that was personally meaningful to them. This activity uncovered how storytelling through objects forms the emotional core of the museum’s experience and consequently fed through into the visual identity by Hat-trick and our website design.
My early design exploration centred around the idea of contrast and juxtaposition, honouring the museum’s historic roots while elevating its contemporary relevance.
Design was insight-led, incorporating visitor information into user journeys.
A detailed site analytics report was conducted which revealed that the Visit page received the most traffic – affirming that logistical information and planning a visit were the main priorities for users.
To showcase the museum’s offering, I incorporated their daily programme into a mega menu. Similarly, we added visitor information such as admission prices and booking call to actions into user journeys.
A quietly powerful and flexible system that invites generosity across the site, without shouting.
By designing a flexible design system, this allowed the client to weave philanthropic messaging throughout the site on different pages, encouraging users to donate or join as a member.
The website has stood the test of time, visually and structurally, and I was pleased to continue working with the client on a retainer basis to refine the user experience based on evolving needs.
