United Arts Club

Overview

The United Arts Club has occupied 3 Fitzwilliam Street Upper in Dublin since 1920. Founded in 1907, it has been a gathering place for generations of Irish artists, writers, and cultural figures — its members have included some of the country’s most celebrated creative voices. When Philip Monaghan took over as administrator in 2023, the club had fewer than 200 members and was recovering from the pandemic’s impact on its community and operations.

Tell Your Friends was brought in to design a new digital presence — one that could honour the club’s legacy while functioning as a practical tool for membership growth, booking, and daily communication.

Challenge

The club’s existing web presence no longer reflected its character or served its operational needs. The site was difficult for staff to update, the booking system for the club’s seven bedrooms was manual and paper-based, and there was no coherent way to communicate events, news, or membership information to current and prospective members.

The design challenge was balancing two seemingly opposing requirements: the site needed to feel like a cultural institution with over a century of history, while also functioning as a modern tool that a small administrative team could maintain without technical support. Every visual decision had to honour the Georgian building’s character — the Dante Room, the dining room overlooking Fitzwilliam Street, the faded elegance that members describe as “very individual charm” — without feeling nostalgic or museum-like.

Approach

We began with extensive research into the club’s history, architecture, and daily operations. We spoke with Monaghan about how members actually used the space — who booked rooms, how events were communicated, what information prospective members needed before joining. The Irish Times profile of the club, published during our engagement, gave us a window into the cultural significance of the institution and the affectionate way members and staff speak about it.

Visual language: We developed a restrained palette rooted in the club’s actual interiors — warm neutrals, deep greens, and the soft cream of the Georgian plasterwork. Typography was kept elegant and understated, using Instrument Serif for headline moments to echo the club’s literary and artistic heritage, and Instrument Sans for practical navigation and information.

Information architecture: The biggest structural change was making membership information, room booking, and event calendars immediately accessible from the homepage. Previously, a prospective member had to navigate several layers to find membership fees or room availability. We restructured the site around what different visitors actually needed — prospective members, current members, and the general public each have clear pathways.

CMS and maintainability: We selected a CMS that the club’s small team could update independently — no developer required for adding events, updating news, or managing room availability. The system was designed around the reality that the club has no dedicated IT staff.

Results & Impact

The redesigned site launched as a clean, functional digital presence that the club’s team can manage independently. The booking system replaced a manual process, reducing administrative overhead. Membership enquiries became easier to handle, with clear information about fees, categories, and the application process.

Since launch, the club’s membership has grown from under 200 to over 500 — driven in part by a more accessible digital presence and the national profile generated by the Irish Times feature. The site continues to serve as the club’s primary interface with both members and the public, reflecting an institution that has supported the arts in Ireland for over a century and remains vital today.