The Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, County Down holds the world’s only permanent exhibition dedicated to the patron saint of Ireland.

Tandem were brought on board to refresh the exhibition, by conceptualising new films and animations, family-friendly activities and reflections on the Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Creating a sense of arrival with a new vibrant exhibition entrance, we reworked the narrative content to make it more cohesive, taking visitors on a journey through Saint Patrick’s early life and captivity in Ireland. Our approach breathes fresh life into the story of the slave who became a saint, author of the first written word in this country and now a cultural icon known the world over.

We used Enigma Text as the crisp, clean impression resembles a calligraphy based script. The exhibition uses Patrick’s own words, and these were highlighted in the italic version of the typeface. As the type designer stated: ‘Its sharp detailing imparts an assertive elegance.’ We wanted this for the tone of voice of the space.

We used accessible san-serif FS Me, developed in association with Mencap, for the more heavy body copy that sits beside the title and headlines.

Templemore Baths is one of Belfast’s heritage gems: the only Victorian baths building in Ireland that survives in its original form, with its original swimming pool and slipper baths.

This important amenity has been used by the community in east Belfast for over 100 years. Following a multi-million pound project, it has been sympathetically restored and interpreted for people to continue to enjoy today.

Our interpretation focuses on telling the story of the baths through the people and place surrounding it, giving voice to the memories of those who once bathed, swam and worked there.

We delved into the history of Templemore, compiling comprehensive research that explored the context for establishing the Victorian bath and the industrial development of the city. This lead to our in-depth Interpretation Plan which supported a NLHF funding bid.

We developed a bespoke visual language that was sympathetic to, and enhanced, the architectural qualities of the space. Our visual language helps to interpret the building’s former functions, with a design that draws inspiration from the original Ticket Office, Slipper Baths and Minor Pool with a contemporary slant to appeal to today’s audiences.

We used signage and materials left in the space to create a visual language that would act as if you stepped back into time — but also learn a bit about the space and history as you did it. This resulted in a mix of beautiful typefaces: working hard to represent the story that spanned decades.

Work Sans was used extensively in the newer areas of the exhibition space and within the ticket office, slipper baths and more heritage areas, copy sits in Work Sans to inform.

Overall, the heritage space is a multi-faceted visitor experience at the heart of the newly-revitalised Templemore Baths. It brings the history and the community who used and looked after the baths to life, through sympathetic and engaging interpretation.

Ballycopeland Windmill is the last working windmill in Northern Ireland and the only example of a functional roller reefing system left in the world. Tandem worked with the passionate team at Historic Environment Division to design and deliver site-wide interpretation at the newly restored windmill and surrounding complex at Ballycopeland.

Working with a unique heritage site such as this, we needed to strike a balance between authentic interpretation of its history and the benefits of technology and design to enhance visitors’ understanding. We employed a combination of industrial heritage inspired graphic design, physical interactives and engaging AV to bring the stories of the windmill to life.

Through interpretation in the form of engaging graphic design, AV and physical interactives, visitors get a sense of the day-to-day realities of a working windmill like Ballycopeland, as well as the skills and expertise of the specialists helping to conserve and restore this heritage gem.

A visual language inspired by the sails of the mill was complemented with display serif Arnhem, a typeface sympathetic to the industrial setting, and NN Nouvelle Grotesk, a typeface reflecting the everyday. Similarly, as the windmill was to be a destination for all ages and abilities, we used accessible san-serif FS Me, developed in association with Mencap, for interpretive graphic panels, which were complemented by a suite of delivery mechanisms to help bring the stories of the mill to life.

Perched on a craggy outcrop at the mouth of Belfast Lough, Grey Point Fort helped to protect the city’s strategically important harbour from attack during two world wars. Now a popular stop on the North Down Coastal Path in Northern Ireland, walkers and cyclists pass by knowing little of the Fort’s stories; of how its searchlights kept watch and how the fort was once an integral part of the local community of Helen’s Bay.

We developed an outdoor interpretation scheme to tell of Grey Point’s hidden history: the origins of the fort, its impact on local life, life during war time and the ecology of the fort’s surroundings.

By revealing the heritage of this important site the local community and visitors alike can gain greater understanding and appreciation the fort’s significance as a publicly accessible asset. For locals in particular, its story is part of their story.

Interpretation is presented on high-pressure laminate graphic panels mounted to lectern and totem signs located at key points around the site. Panels are weather-proof and vandal-resistant and will retain their graphic integrity despite the coastal location.

Alongside amazing heritage images, the typographic design needed to have impact, reflect the character of the site and be highly legible. We assembled headlines from scanned letterpress printed type, bleeding text off panel edges to lend the words a sense of urgency. In contrast, body copy was typeset using FS Me, so it was as accessible as possible. FS Me was designed specifically to improve legibility for people with learning disabilities. The font was researched and developed by Fontsmith with – and endorsed by – Mencap, the UK’s leading charity and voice for those with learning disabilities.

The searchlight emplacements needed protection. We designed interpretive screens engineered from weathering steel – one a conceptual piece incorporating an eye motif to continue the fort’s legacy and another typographic, presenting technical aspects of the searchlight that was once housed within. These were developed and manufactured in consultation with a steel fabricator who advised on technical parameters.

The metal door features text in AG Book Stencil.

On the panels, FS Me is paired with Rufina Stencil and Bureau Grot.

Deep beneath a North Mayo bog lies the millennia-old origins of a way of life that has continued in Ireland for over 5,000 years.

A chance discovery in the 1930s began the process of unearthing remarkable evidence of ancient settlers their beliefs and practises, and a vast expanse of walled fields – the oldest known on earth – in which they raised what were then strange and exotic animals.

To celebrate this internationally significant archaeological wonder we put the people
of the past and present centre stage. From the Neolithic farming families who made this land their home to the remarkable individuals that continue to find and explore what lies beneath ground.

Working within the limitations of an existing building we blended strong spacial, lighting, display and contemporary graphic design, considering and incorporating earthy colours throughout to be sympathetic to the landscape and compelling setworks to subliminally re-enforce the environment.

We believe that good design is inclusive of others. Implementing and maintaining this policy is a primary objective; so through our development of visual language we considered the choice of typeface, colour contrast and enhancing legibility and visibility. We designed all layouts to ensure that important content was always accessible. Irish was placed first and larger throughout the design scheme.

Gotham was used for titles and body copy, Noe Display was used for more decorative, engraving interactives. Both helped to create a strong visual language and to tell the story of Céide Fields.

The overall project was shortlisted in the 2022 IDI awards.

Nestled in the Ring of Gullion, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, lies Slieve Gullion Forest Park. It is the home of legendary figures and mythic stories, and is a place where geology, archaeology, nature and cultural heritage comes to life.

Our challenge was to interpret and tell the stories and history of this place, in a light-touch way, to complement but not overpower the beauty of the site itself. The design developed from a solid foundation of research into the geology and history of the local area, including folklore and legends passed down over generations. The combination of natural forces at play with people’s multi-layered interpretations of the site provided a rich source of inspiration for design which is sympathetic to its environment, engages people’s senses and emphasises the unique qualities of this special site.

For one aspect of the overall project, we developed sculptural bench seating for visitors to enjoy the view of the stunning surrounding countryside. This was crafted to respond to the natural environment in material and shape. Historic names for the landscape were engraved into the stone, ensuring their namesakes would live on long after the storytellers were gone. Beautiful and functional, informative and imaginative, these benches would be an unique experience–not only could you admire the natural beauty, you could be grounded it in too.

We used Staat, a typeface developed by Timo Kuilder – a high-contrast serif with sharp cuts, well suited to the rocky environment. Irish and English are interwoven along with a poetic call to action asking a visitor to imagine the world around them as they enjoy the setting.

Working at such a large scale, the names were elegantly typeset to suit the shape of each bench. Material and type had to be carefully managed to not only be aesthetically pleasing but to be aware of the limitations of the engraving machine.

Tandem worked with the Paul Hogarth Company to bring this vision to life.
The overall project was shortlisted in the 2022 IDI awards.

Nestled in the designated dark sky area of the Sperrin Mountains, OM Dark Sky Park and Observatory at Davagh Forest offers a unique indoor and outdoor visitor experience.

Inside the building – itself designed in sympathy to the forest surroundings – an engaging and fun visitor experience with hands-on physical interactivity and state-of-the-art digital interventions can be found.

The exhibition makes connections between ancient archaeology and astronomy, including how ancient farmers used the movements of the sun and moon to understand the change in seasons.

Interpretation design helps visitors understand and explore our own solar system in more detail. Tandem’s role extended from inside to the exterior and surrounding landscape.

The typefaces chosen for this project were based around our views on interpretation design. Interpretation design must inform, provoke and inspire the visiting public. When choosing how the content would essentially 'speak' to the visitors, we were conscious of legibility along with how the content could be approachable.

FS Me is used for running texts. It was designed specifically to improve legibility for people with learning disabilities. The font was researched and developed by Fontsmith with – and endorsed by – Mencap, the UK’s leading charity and voice for those with learning disabilities.

Montserrat by Julieta Ulanovsky, a typeface inspired by the old posters and signs in the traditional Montserrat neighborhood of Buenos Aires, embodies warmth. As it’s been developed and inspired by the urban typography that emerged in the early half of the twentieth century, it acts like a direct tone of voice to the world and the visitors. In this project, it is used for headlines. Its default a was replaced by the alternate, single storey form.

Both of these typefaces are extremely accessible to visitors and work well together to communicate the knowledge clearly, while being visually intriguing.

The site and observatory is one of only two dark sky parks on the island of Ireland to receive international Dark Sky accreditation.