Reimagining Neverland for Great Ormond Street Hospital

The plaques at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) have always been more than metal and lettering.

They were thank yous, tributes, and a visible reminder of generosity. But when hospital access changed during the pandemic, that visibility disappeared. GOSH needed a new way to recognise its supporters. That’s where we came in.

The challenge

For years, GOSH celebrated donations with physical plaques. These were installed on the walls outside wards, in corridors and in spaces where families and staff would see them daily.

But once COVID restrictions took hold, footfall in the hospital dropped and access became more controlled. As a result, the visibility of those plaques dropped too.

While donors give because they strongly support a cause, recognition still matters. Particularly for businesses and high-value supporters, seeing their name or logo represented is an important part of the experience. It reinforces their commitment and provides a story they can share. And while these plaques are a point of pride for donors, they also act as visible proof of giving; a subtle but powerful way to inspire generosity in others.

GOSH needed a new way to bring this recognition to life. Something accessible, scalable and lasting.

The brief

The brief could have been solved with a simple digital list. But collectively, we had a bigger vision. 

At the same time as the project began, the hospital had been developing new brand materials inspired by Peter Pan. They had the rights to the Neverland story and had been working on a creative identity around it, complete with an illustrated map and a cast of characters.

That’s when the idea clicked. What if donors were placed on the map itself? Not just as names on a page, but as part of a living, visual story?

We worked with GOSH to build a Virtual Recognition Hub. One that would use their Neverland world to create a place where generosity could be seen, celebrated and explored.

From sketch to story

We began by mapping out the idea with scamps and low-fidelity wireframes. These early visuals helped shape the experience and gave GOSH a clear sense of direction.

Once the core concept was signed off, we started working with their in-progress brand identity for Neverland. We proposed that each part of the map should become home to a different donation type. The Lost Boys’ Hideout represented one cause, Mermaid Lagoon another. It made categorisation intuitive and emotionally resonant. This structure would also create space to tell stories, highlighting donations that had helped build new wings or fund specialist equipment.

The map was more than a backdrop. It became a way to explore real impact, thematically and visually.

Bringing Neverland to life with Craft CMS

With the framework agreed, we needed a platform to support it. With Craft CMS, we implemented a solution to manage all the donations and map them into the Neverland world.

It enabled us to:

• Create a clear, scalable structure for placing donations within themed areas
   
• Give GOSH full control over categories, names and supporting stories
   
• Future-proof the hub so it could grow as new donations come in
   
• Create a batch upload service, saving GOSH days of effort every quarter

The editorial team could easily manage the experience, without touching the design. It was simple on the surface, and powerful underneath.

Discovery meets design

Next, our focus shifted to the details and motion. Our design team introduced subtle animations to give the map a sense of life without distracting from the stories it held.

Then our front-end team took the visuals and made them real. As visitors explore the map, different areas animate and respond. Pages load smoothly. Areas out of view remain dormant to keep things light and fast. It’s an experience that works as well on a laptop as it does on a mobile.

The results

The Virtual Recognition Hub gives GOSH a space that celebrates giving in a way that feels personal and imaginative. It makes donors feel part of something bigger. And it gives the hospital a platform that can grow alongside its ambitions. It’s a proud link to their past, with a clear path into the future.

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