UX Audit of a Desktop and Mobile Apps
A research-led UX review that helped an organisation boost engagement and simplify a critical submission process.
Commercial
Culture Date with Dublin 8
What we did
- Website Strategy
- Univeral Design
- Low Carbon Design
- Content Strategy
We designed and developed a website for Culture Date with Dublin 8 that celebrates one of Dublin’s most historic cultural districts. Built with universal design and low-carbon principles, the new site is accessible and houses large amounts of content in a clear way while welcoming visitors with a friendly visual language.
The Challenge
Culture Date with Dublin 8 is a festival run by Dublin City Council. It celebrates the rich history and culture of the neighbourhoods in the area. This growing initiative needed a website that could clearly present a busy, diverse programme while reflecting the Dublin 8 community’s welcoming character.
The site had to support practical needs — helping users find events, book tickets, and navigate venues — but also communicate the year-round cultural value of Dublin 8, far beyond the festival dates. The client wanted to reach wider, more diverse audiences and create a platform that was accessible, recognisable, and sustainable.
Our Approach
We led with clarity: applying strong content strategy, universal design principles, and a focus on performance to ensure the site was both welcoming and effective. The user experience was carefully structured around easy discovery, clear navigation, and visual warmth.
Working with specially commissioned illustrations by John Rooney, we created a distinctive, low-carbon site that doesn't rely on heavy imagery or video but still feels rich and characterful. Universal design informed every step of the process — with accessibility built in from the outset, not retrofitted at the end.
Universal Design
A Universal Design approach ensured the platform was inclusive and accessible to a broad audience. Accessibility considerations, such as contrast, legibility, and responsive design, were prioritised to ensure the website is usable for all audiences, including those with disabilities, while still reflecting the vibrant identity of Dublin 8.
Low Carbon
We adopted a Low Carbon web design approach to optimise performance and reduce environmental impact. Working with the illustrations of John Rooney, which were specially commissioned for Culture Date with Dublin 8, allowed us to bring visual impact to the website without overly relying on photography and video. The illustrations bring to life the people, culture, and heritage of Dublin 8.
What We Delivered
- Website Strategy & Content Planning
- Universal Design Implementation
- Low-Carbon, Performance-Optimised Build
- Inclusive, Accessible User Experience (WCAG 2.2 AA)
The Impact
The site has significantly improved accessibility, usability and performance — without compromising visual appeal. It now serves as a flexible, inclusive platform that celebrates the people, places and culture of Dublin 8 all year round. Judges from the 2024 Ireland eGovernment Awards praised the accessibility-first approach.
🏆 Spiders Awards 2025 Finalist – Universal Design
🎉 Ireland eGovernment Awards 2024 Finalist – Universal Design
🎉 Ireland eGovernment Awards 2024 Finalist – Local Government
Universal Design Category
Ireland eGovernment Award Finalist 2024Judges' comments:
The Culture Date with Dublin 8 is an exemplar of a site that's both beautiful and accessible. It is clear there was an accessible first approach taken here where instead of retrofitting accessibility onto the site at the end, they considered accessibility from the very beginning. It's a very, very good example of a website that's both attractive and usable and accessible.
Donal Rice
National Disability Authority (NDA)
National Disability Authority (NDA)
