Design Challenge and Design Ideas

The National Leprechaun Museum of Ireland is dedicated to Irish mythology, folklore and stories. Open rejuvenated the museum’s online presence all fitting for a city centre storytelling gem.

The design concept for the NLM centred around story telling, art and the folklore traditions of Ireland. We wanted to bring this experience to visitors in a way that would take them by surprise. The website would have to serve as a marketing tool with attraction photos, information and a booking system, but it was also going to be different from the usual tourist attraction online. Stories and the images they evoke go together, so we decided to blend story and art in a big way. The website is illustrative and its feel is firmly rooted in the Irish tradition. The hare is associated with fairies, druids and dance in Irish mythology and it’s a symbol of prosperity and good fortune.

How the brief was fulfilled

The National Leprechaun Museum (NLM) of Ireland might not be what you were expecting. It’s more than a nice tourist stop in the capital. It’s a cultural haven in Dublin city centre, where visitors come to sample folklore and storytelling from talented guides. The NLM knew they wanted a website which wasn’t a pastiche of Irish culture, but one with reference to mythology and folklore and yes, leprechauns, but with so much more along the way. The leprechaun is just one of the mythical characters featured in the museum display and storytelling tour, but most likely the easiest recognisable for international visitors. The objective for the new website was to get the fun of the museum across, while making sure that prospective visitors knew that their visit would include other interesting and entertaining aspects of Irish folklore.

We knew that the site would have to steer well clear of cliché, while maintaining a tourist-friendly offering. It would also need to appeal to a local audience of all ages. With this in mind Open set about the execution of a carefully thought out plan which entailed a research phase; looking at both cultural resources and tourism offerings and wish lists. We spent time with the client, workshopping a whole new approach to the NLM website; one which would be very different to most small museums or tourist attractions.

Open created a unique website to the National Leprechaun Museum, delivering on objectives centred around:
• Showcasing the museum as a vital destination in Dublin
• Creation of an interactive site with movement and a sense of wonder
• Introduction of a new user friendly booking system
• Creation of bespoke art and illustration on the website
• Highlighting the museum as a storytelling centre of excellence
• Placing the museum as a fun cultural hotspot
• Installation of a fun and engaging online user journey

Open brought the full creative, technical and marketing skills of our whole team together to think about unexpected and inventive ways of showcasing the unique place that the National Leprechaun Museum of Ireland is.