CultureSuite is redefining how cultural venues approach website design with its innovative Live Design methodology, a collaborative approach that puts creative decision-making directly in the hands of cultural organisations.
Unlike traditional website design processes, which often involve lengthy waits for static mockups and frustrating revision cycles with developers, Live Design brings arts marketers into the virtual design studio where they actively participate in shaping their digital presence alongside UX designers and technical web specialists.
"We've turned the design process on its head," explains CultureSuite's Chief Experience Officer George Hill. "Rather than presenting venues with pre-built concepts they then need to critique, we create the website together in real-time collaborative sessions. This fundamentally changes the relationship from client-contractor to true creative partners."
How Live Design works in practice
The Live Design process typically begins with research and discovery phases to understand the venue's brand, audience, and content needs. From there, the magic happens in a series of collaborative sessions where venue staff, designers, and Peppered platform experts come together.
During these sessions, venue teams see their website taking shape before their eyes. As design elements are created and implemented, technical specialists provide immediate feedback on how best to utilise the Peppered platform for specific challenges and needs, allowing decisions to be made through informed discussion rather than losing days or weeks through countless iterations.
This approach eliminates the common scenario where designs are created in isolation, only for venues to discover later that certain elements aren't technically feasible or would require significant additional investment.
"What makes Live Design so powerful is having both creative and technical expertise in the room simultaneously," notes Lead Peppered Consultant Liesanne Rooks. "When a venue suggests a particular feature or layout, we can immediately explore how to implement it within Peppered, test alternatives, and make informed decisions together."
The sessions can include branding partners when appropriate, creating a holistic approach where all stakeholders contribute their expertise while maintaining a unified vision.
Benefits for cultural venues
The Live Design methodology offers numerous advantages for arts and culture organisations:
- Faster delivery: By eliminating lengthy revision cycles, websites can be created and launched more quickly.
- Reduced stress: No more anxiety about whether your feedback has been understood or implemented correctly.
- Greater control: Venues play an active role in shaping their digital presence, giving cultural organisations more owners, autonomy and understanding of their website’s capabilities.
- Technical alignment: All designs are created with the Peppered platform's capabilities in mind.
- Knowledge transfer: Teams gain deeper understanding of their website through participation, which leads to more successful website management further down the line.
- Budget certainty: Technical limitations are identified early, preventing unexpected costs later.
Joep Peeters, Head of Marketing at Natlab, recently experienced the Live Design process: "The team's flexibility, hard work and quick responses throughout the Live Design process have been much appreciated. We're very happy with the result and grateful for their support."
The approach is particularly valuable for cultural venues, which often operate with limited resources and tight timelines. By involving venue staff directly in the design process, CultureSuite ensures the resulting website truly reflects the organisation's identity and meets the specific needs of their audiences.
Furthermore, the collaborative nature of Live Design means venue teams gain valuable insights into how their website functions, empowering them to manage and evolve their digital presence confidently after launch.
CultureSuite offers different design packages to suit various needs and budgets, from comprehensive UX discovery and Live Design to quicker design ports for venues with existing websites. Each approach incorporates the collaborative methodology that puts venues in control. But also offer a more bespoke design service if you still want that all singing and all dancing custom experience.
As arts and culture organisations increasingly recognise the importance of their digital presence, CultureSuite's Live Design methodology represents a significant step forward in making website creation more accessible, enjoyable, and effective for the sector.
For more information about our Live Design packages, visit our Live Design page.
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