Qatar is changing at an extraordinary pace. Its ambitious cultural programme required an online presence that allows users to express their creativity, get involved with local activities, and have a dialogue with the museums. Our challenge was to align these contemporary aspirations with Arabic traditions and heritage. Working closely with Qatar Museums and Wolff Olins, we created a website which is bold and playful, whilst respecting the distinctive character and aesthetics of the region. A detailed six-month research programme, conducted in both Doha and London, gave us the understanding we needed to then design and implement the new website.

Qatar's current status is unique, and with it come unique constraints and requirements. We adapted our creative process to give the client what they needed, whilst adhering to the principles of user centred design. To ensure our solution was tightly tailored to their needs, we approached the research from as many angles as possible. Through a rich set of qualitative and quantitative techniques, we analysed the needs of their stakeholders, staff and users. The result is a website which is now successfully fostering participation, and which firmly positions Qatar Museums as the guiding cultural force in the Gulf region.