• Defining requirments
  • Product development
  • Managing digital delivery

Inspire Culture and Learning uses our Corals platform to engage new and existing audiences

Woman looks at Inspire Picture Archive on mobile phone.

Results

Engaging audiences

A contemporary, mobile-first photographic archive website that opens Nottinghamshire’s collections to new audiences.

Widening access

Over 20,000 archive images made accessible through intuitive and engaging search routes.

Exploring collections

Innovative use of metadata and custom search categories, creating unique ways to explore the collection.

Revenue stream

A flexible platform that enables users to purchase and dedicate archive images.

Future-proof

A refreshed digital presence that allows the archive content to shine and continue to grow.

Objectives

Inspire is an innovative organisation established by Nottinghamshire County Council to deliver a wide range of cultural and creative services. As part of this remit, Nottinghamshire Archives care for extensive and significant photographic collections relating to the county’s history.

The Archives team wanted to replace their existing photo website with a more contemporary solution that would open up their collections to wider audiences and support new forms of engagement.

The key objectives were to:

Replace the existing photo website with a modern, mobile-first platform

Improve access to and discovery of Nottinghamshire’s photographic collections

Engage new audiences with archive material in intuitive and meaningful ways

Create a sustainable digital solution that could grow over time

Solutions

We worked closely with Inspire to design and deliver Inspire Picture Archive (IPA).

Corals platform

The site is built using Corals, the photographic archive platform we originally developed for the Library of Birmingham, customised to meet Inspire’s specific needs.

Gathering requirements

Following detailed requirements gathering, we enhanced Inspire’s existing metadata to create distinctive search categories that encourage exploration and discovery.

Fresh branding

Inspire’s branding was integrated throughout the site, resulting in a fresh, vibrant and visually engaging experience.

Ready for launch

More than 20,000 archive images were uploaded to the platform, and we supported Inspire with the public launch of the site at a local history event at Mansfield Library, helping introduce Inspire Picture Archive to new and existing audiences.

Read more

Learn more about our work with Inspire Culture and Learning.