VISUAL IDENTITY
ARCHIVAL CURATION
DIGITAL STORY PORTAL (UX DESIGN)
SIGNAGE DESIGN
SOCIAL MEDIA design
The Brief
Funded by Historic England, New Parks in the Making was a community-led heritage project designed to uncover the social history of the New Parks area. Working with Soft Touch Arts and Herewoode Academy, the goal was to engage young people in research that would culminate in a permanent public tapestry.
As Comms Lead and Designer, I faced a unique challenge: the project needed a high-impact digital home, but it had to be built on an outdated legacy website that was scheduled for a rebrand the following year. I needed to create a sophisticated, accessible experience that felt intentional — not a temporary add-on.
The Process
Rather than fighting the limitations of the existing WordPress template, I leaned into UX Strategy. I designed a "Story Portal" that simplified a complex project into three clear acts: The Journey, The Artwork, and The Community Archive.
The portal was designed for everyone from the students who built the project to the elderly residents who lived the history. I focused on clean layouts and a uniform presentation of archive materials to ensure the digital space felt as welcoming as the library it lived in.
I built a robust brand kit (logo suite, colour palette, custom shapes, and fonts) that allowed our team to create consistent visuals. This system meant that even in my absence, posters, signage, and digital assets stayed aligned with the project's visual core.
On launch day, I supported the environmental design, translating the digital aesthetic into physical signage and exhibition prints. I ensured the storytelling flow of the website was mirrored in how people moved through the room.
The Outcome
The project was a resounding success, recognized at the highest level of UK heritage:
National Recognition: A representative from Historic England cited the digital portal as one of the "strongest examples" of a heritage project website they had seen in the UK.
Bridging the Generational Gap: The ultimate validation came during the launch when an elderly resident, after seeing her mother’s image in the digital archive, asked me to write down the URL so she could visit it at home. It proved that intentional design can overcome technical barriers and emotional distance.
Community Legacy: The library at New Parks requested that the exhibition elements, including the central tapestry, remain as a permanent installation — ensuring the "New Parks in the Making" brand remains a staple of the community’s visual landscape.
What I Loved
Seeing a project transcend its medium. We started with a physical tapestry and a clunky web template, but we ended with a piece of living history. Knowing that a national heritage body views my UX work as a gold standard, while a local resident views it as a way to connect with her mother, is the perfect example of why I choose to work with mission-led organisations.
