Case Study: Retail book for the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds
The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds is one of the UK’s most impressive cultural attractions — a fantastic, family-friendly FREE day out in Leeds with plenty of space and five‑floors for families to explore. The museum is home to the national collection of arms and armour, with everything from medieval knights to samurai, movie props, and modern military technology.
Design Brief
The team at The Royal Armouries Museum were looking for a retail children’s activity book to engage children and guide them through the layout of the exhibitions.
Considerations
It was important to guide young visitors around the site and get them excited about moving around the five main galleries, whilst also including a nod to the special exhibitions and extra activities that also take place.
There are some displays which are well known, including the Hall of Steel, showcasing the 2,700 pieces of weaponry arranged on the walls and the only surviving example of elephant armour, located in the Oriental Gallery. It was important to incorporate these alongside displays from the ancient world and the modern day, such as Japanese samurai armour, famous movie props, and the armours of Henry VIII.
As this was a resource for children a big consideration was the delicate balance of facts around the horrors of war and putting objects in context with educational facts and puzzles.
We Created
The Royal Armouries Late for the Exhibit, an A4 full colour 24-page children’s activity book and retails in the museum shop for £4.00 per book. It introduces the character ‘Little Elephant’, the armoured elephant who has to make their way across the museum, getting distracted by all the amazing exhibits on the way, until they find their home alongside the adult elephant armour on display on the floor four.
This guidebook is the perfect companion for all children (and their adults), keeping them happy and engaged during your trip to the museum. Every page is packed full of quizzes, fun facts, and puzzles, to help younger guests find out more about objects from every floor of the museum.
Why have an Activity Book?
A children’s activity book is a powerful way to bring your hidden stories to life, connect with families, and create a lasting legacy that captures the magic of a great day out. A well‑crafted book strengthens brand loyalty and encourages visitors to share their experience with friends and family, helping to grow audiences. It also opens the door to increased revenue through a beautifully produced keepsake for visitors to treasure.
The team at Colour Heroes provide a complete end‑to‑end service, from your initial brief right through to delivering your finished retail books on site. Throughout the design process, our in‑house creative team work closely with you to develop hand‑drawn illustrations, educational content, and age‑appropriate puzzles and games that perfectly match your audience.
With more than 30 years of experience in the print industry, we can guide you on the most suitable FSC‑certified papers and finishes for your product. Our goal is to ensure your activity book is cost‑effective, sustainably produced, and delivers a strong, reliable revenue stream.
Our clients consistently tell us that their activity books have boosted income significantly, as well as improved brand awareness, increased engagement, and substantially enhanced the overall family visitor experience:
Increased site exploration — Visitors spend more time on site and discover more, leading to higher secondary spend.
Stronger brand connection — Families engage more deeply with the brand, improving loyalty.
More positive experiences — Visitors leave with a lasting impression, increasing the likelihood of return visits.
More recommendations — Guests are more inclined to recommend the site to friends and family if they have enjoyed a positive experience.
Improved visitor scores — Visitor experience managers report significantly higher satisfaction levels and more frequent repeat visits.
Find out more about how we can enhance your visitor experience with our family resources. To schedule an appointment with Lorraine, please call us at 01347 824 459 or email our friendly team at info@colourheroes.com.