The Gibson Library is an historic independent library in Saffron Walden, housing a nationally significant collection of rare books and is a major resource for the study of the Victorian and Edwardian periods.
tela partnered with The Gibson Library to redesign and rebuild its website to better reflect the significance of its historic collections and improve how visitors, members and researchers access and engage with its content online.
Objectives
The project was driven by a need to modernise the library’s digital presence, while supporting its evolving role as both a heritage institution and community resource.
Our key objectives were:
- Improve overall usability and information architecture
- Make content easier to navigate for multiple audience types
- Better showcase the library’s history, collections and activities
- Shop integration
- Strengthen engagement with members, volunteers and researchers
What we did
tela worked closely with The Gibson Library to develop a responsive WordPress website that works seamlessly across all devices. We began by redesigning the user experience to improve clarity, navigation and overall usability across the site. The existing structure was rethought to better support the library’s different audiences, ensuring that researchers, members and general visitors could each find relevant information quickly and intuitively. Alongside this, we created a modern interface that balances a clean, accessible design with the heritage character of the institution, helping to better reflect the significance of the library’s collections and history.
As part of the build, we integrated an online shop, enabling the library to sell memberships, publications and related items directly through the website in a streamlined and user-friendly way.
Following launch, we continue to manage and support the website, handling ongoing updates, improvements and technical maintenance.