Leeds’ Royal Armouries has launched its new website, designed and delivered by Numiko.
This visually stunning and user-friendly new site brings together the museum’s extensive collection of arms and armour across three venues, and tells new stories about these fascinating objects. This development is part of the Royal Armouries’ two-year Digital Vision for the Future project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and its players.
The Royal Armouries has taken a significant step in improving its online presence by offering a consolidated website that brings together previously separated sites into one unified space. This makes it easier for visitors to explore the museum’s collection and find information about upcoming events.
Florence Symington, director of brand and audiences at Royal Armouries said: “Arms and armour are among the products of human endeavour which have had the greatest impact on the history of the world. With funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund we are harnessing the power of digital to invest in a new website to increase engagement with our world class collection and bring it to a broader audience. Numiko have been instrumental in developing a site that showcases our vast collection and makes it easy to explore for visitors. It is thanks to National Lottery players that we’ve been able to launch our new website and hope that our virtual and physical visitors are inspired to find out more.”
Numiko began the project with a clear question: What do users want? To address this, it worked on integrating separate websites into one to deliver uniformity in design and user experience. Visitors can now select their desired museum location to view and attend events specific to that place, removing the confusion of mixed event information from different physical sites which had been identified as an issue with the previous website.
The size of Royal Armouries vast collection can be daunting, so the new website aims to offer more depth by focusing on the unique stories behind each item. Through thoughtfully applied design techniques involving the use of distinct colour palettes and textures, each piece’s history and background are brought to the fore, making the digital collection far more engaging.
The Royal Armouries invites everyone to visit the new website and delve into the rich histories encapsulated within its collection. With its improved functionality and emphasis on storytelling, the museum hopes to welcome more visitors and encourage a deeper appreciation for the narratives that these artefacts carry.
