The Conference of European National Librarians (CENL) brings together 49 members from 46 countries, with a shared mission to strengthen the role of national libraries across Europe. Representing some of the world’s most significant cultural and knowledge institutions.
Our Approach
CENL plays a crucial role in promoting collaboration, advocating for the importance of libraries, and preserving cultural heritage. At the time of development, the secretariat was under the presidency of the British Library, with Roly Keating, Chief Executive of the British Library, serving as Chair. CENL identified a need for a modern, engaging online presence that could better serve its members, increase public visibility, and support internal collaboration.
We partnered with CENL to deliver a comprehensive digital transformation, beginning with an in-depth scoping phase. This phase combined:
- Stakeholder workshops to align priorities across a diverse membership.
- Remote user testing to gather broad-based input from users across Europe.
- In-person user interviews with key figures from member libraries to dive deeper into organisational needs.
This collaborative discovery process ensured that the platform was shaped around both the public audience and CENL’s member institutions, balancing the need for public outreach with private, member-only collaboration tools.
Our design process was highly iterative and insight-driven:
- Wireframing and prototyping to establish and test the information architecture.
- Visual design that reflects the prestige and diversity of CENL’s membership while remaining approachable and functional.
- User testing at each stage, including click tests and memory tests, to optimise usability and validate design decisions.
This user-centred design approach ensured that every interaction point was carefully considered, from discovering national libraries' profiles to engaging with member-only discussions.
Technical Delivery
While the site is built on WordPress, we significantly extended the platform’s native capabilities to meet CENL’s complex needs:
- Custom membership system allowing controlled access to private member areas, including secure discussion forums and document repositories.
- Automated content aggregation, pulling in news and updates from member libraries’ websites and social media feeds.
- Flexible content management tools, enabling CENL administrators to easily update public resources, manage publications, and facilitate community interaction without technical support.
- Scalable architecture, ensuring the platform can grow and evolve alongside CENL’s membership and activities.
- Accessibility and multilingual considerations, critical for an international organisation serving a broad audience.
The new CENL website acts as both a public showcase for Europe’s national libraries and a dynamic community hub for its members. It elevates CENL’s visibility, promotes the importance of national libraries, and strengthens internal collaboration across countries and institutions.
This project demonstrates our ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder digital projects—from discovery through design, technical build, and launch—delivering solutions that are robust, user-focused, and future-ready.
