Ros Tapestry

Project overview

The Ros Tapestry consists of 15 large, embroidered panels and tells the story of the Norman arrival in South-East Ireland. It is an important work of art, craft and history, acknowledged by all who see it as a national treasure. Currently on display in Kilkenny Castle, it is scheduled to return to its permanent home in New Ross, Co. Wexford, at the earliest opportunity, where it will take up residency in the new Norman Centre on the quay.

One of their directors had worked with us on another project, so when the need arose for a new website, she reached out to us. We were delighted to get involved and lend our expertise. The website was a joy to design because of the wonderful images and underlying story. Our main objective was to do the tapestry justice and showcase the panels in all their gorgeousness. Judging by people’s reactions, we achieved that.

The centrepiece of the Ros Tapestry are the 15 panels so we wanted them to be the first thing that people see when they open the website. We also wanted to give people the option to flip through the panels, zoom in for more detail and learn about specific features. All this we achieved at the top of the home page without the need to scroll down or go any further.

From a design perspective, we wanted to bring the tapestry to life and let the panels speak for themselves. We wanted to give the website a woven texture, much like the embroidered panels. For that reason, we used as many close-up, vibrant images as possible of the panels, interspersing them with a warm, hessian-like background. The result is a website that feels authentic, where the tapestry occupies pride of place, and where everything else is stripped back.

From a functionality perspective, the website is built on WordPress so they can update the content themselves. There’s also an online shop where they sell merchandise, gift items, membership packages etc. in short, it’s an all-singing and all-dancing website with the flexibility to grow as the project evolves.

View Website

Share this project