WORK

The Canterbury Museum is currently undertaking a significant redevelopment, a transformation that required a digital presence as ambitious and meaningful as the physical build itself.

The organisation’s ambition was to move beyond the traditional, static "project update" website and instead create a "living digital exhibition." The goal was to maintain a deep connection with the community by mirroring the physical changes behind the hoardings through an evolving digital narrative.

Araiteuru Our Journey is the digital companion to the Museum’s redevelopment. A place where stories unfold over time, inviting audiences to follow the journey chapter by chapter, rather than consuming information in a single moment.

We designed and built the website to:

• Feel editorial and immersive, using horizontal scrolling to create a sense of progression, like reading a book. Where each chapter unfolds naturally and leads seamlessly into the next.
• Encourage exploration and reflection, allowing visitors to move through the story at their own pace, discovering moments rather than skimming updates.
• Use a restrained colour palette of off-black and stone as a quiet, considered backdrop. Intentionally stepping back so photography, video, archival material and storytelling can take centre stage.
• Deliver a sleek, modern UI and UX that feels contemporary and refined without overpowering the content or the institution’s gravitas.
• Translate the existing Canterbury Museum brand into a digital-first expression, creating a distinct digital identity that remains true to the Museum’s heritage, authority and tone.
• Maintain a strong emotional connection with the community, ensuring the Museum remains present, relevant and accessible throughout its physical closure.

The result is a calm, confident digital experience that mirrors the care and intention of the redevelopment itself. Araiteuru Our Journey transforms a complex, long-term project into an engaging, human story. One that invites people to stay connected, informed and inspired as Canterbury Museum reimagines its future.