Project Background

Located in Lévis, the Maison Alphonse-Desjardins (MAD) is a museum devoted to the origins of the Desjardins cooperative movement and to the story of its founding couple, Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins. Open year-round and free of charge, it is run by the team of the Société historique Alphonse-Desjardins, which offers a range of themed activities and exhibitions. In 2024, looking to refresh the permanent exhibition housed in the building next to the couple's historic home, the MAD team reached out to La bande à Paul.

What La bande à Paul Brought to the Table

The central challenge was to renew the exhibition's content and presentation while preserving its core message: the story of the cooperative and its founding couple, set against the harsh socio-economic backdrop of the early twentieth century. The exhibition also needed to win over a new audience: families. To make sometimes complex themes accessible, engaging, and fun for visitors of all ages, the team developed a simple but vibrantly colourful design - four bold colours for four themes, paired with interactive games that bring home the value of cooperation and the concept of saving. Large colourized period photographs fill the space, and even the youngest visitors are in on the fun: they can set off on a piggy-bank hunt.