Merchant Adventurers’ Hall is a medieval guildhall in York, built in the 14th century as the headquarters of the city’s powerful merchant community. Today, it stands as a historic visitor attraction, event venue and charity organisation which supports public engagement.
Recommended by a client, Merchant Adventurers’ Hall approached Creo with the goal of replacing its outdated website. The site offered limited functionality and posed a significant security risk, as all members used a single shared password to access the members’ area.
Our key objective was to deliver a website and database that would clearly display all the information visitors need about the hall while providing a seamless user experience and develop a secure members’ area, enabling members to have their own account and password. This eliminated the need for administrative emails to distribute shared login credentials, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches.
In addition to supporting York Merchant Adventurers’ Hall with a new website design, the team at Creo recommended undertaking UX (user experience) research. This detailed audit delving deeper into the website’s pain points and improvement areas, uncovered previously unnoticed issues. It also helped ensure the website we delivered was effective, user-focused and built to the highest quality.
Through stakeholder and user interviews and competitive analysis, we gained a deep understanding of the audience. Research revealed three distinct user groups, each with differing requirements. The new website had to effectively cater to each audience. The design and strategy were therefore guided by user personas and journey maps.
Our extensive research was translated to wireframes, allowing our client to visualise the website’s structure and see it come to life early in the process. Through discussions and feedback sessions, we refined the designs to better meet user needs, followed by high-fidelity designs and website development.
Alongside the design and development process, our team produced all website copy, ensuring content reflected the Hall’s rich heritage while remaining engaging, accessible and user-focused. We also delivered professional photography and videography, capturing the unique character of Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and creating a strong visual identity throughout the site.
At this stage of the project we introduced secure individual member accounts, allowing members to access exclusive information and events. We also developed an exclusive digital member nomination process, enabling existing members to nominate prospective members online.
The client was delighted with the final website, which exceeded the original goals and expectations. Rather than simply delivering a modern, easy-to-use website, we created a platform that combines an enhanced visual experience with improved accessibility and information.
The website now effectively serves all three user groups identified during the research phase, making it easier for visitors and members to find the information they need. Security and member management have beensignificantly improved through the introduction of individual user accounts and digital processes.
Whether you’re planning a new website, refreshing an existing one or looking to improve how your brand performs online, we’d love to hear about it. Get in touch and let’s see what we could create together.
