Creating a user friendly digital platform

The De La Warr Pavilion aspired to radically upgrade their current website to offer an intuitive and engaging experience – as good as, if not better than, the best comparable arts venues.

The site needed a stronger commercial focus to encourage ease of booking, buying and donating. The project was fast track and included a new ticket booking system as well as a revised architecture and content. While recognising that all aspirations may not be achieved in the first phase of the website development it was seen as an opportunity to ask the public to feedback during its beta phase.

Top priorities included:

• promote what’s on – events, exhibitions, activities
• embody an efficient, user-friendly ticketing system
• provide full information for those visiting the De La Warr Pavilion
• engage a wider community of members, sponsors and educational institutions
• help communicate the De La Warr Pavilion’s unique brand and help raise funds
• promote Shop sales and Café Bar & Kitchen and venue usage.

Part of our work was to do a full review of how users already use the website and how this has changed over the past few years and what the predictions on usage might be in the future. We undertook full staff consultation to inform us of what key areas of the organisation needed from the site.

Key points arising from workshop sessions were that the new site needs to be:

• a better expression of the De La Warr Pavilion brand
• provide a better experience for the visitor/customer
• optimise commercial opportunities
• be a useful resource.