Sculpting a Dynamic Booking Platform for Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

A WordPress Website for Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop provides artists with subsidised studio space, funding and commissions. The Workshop is also an active part of the wider Edinburgh community. It welcomes anyone with an interest in finding out more about sculpture.

In summary, our brief was to create a new WordPress website for the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. Led by research and analysis, we would build a site showcasing the studio’s many offerings. These included events, exhibitions and courses. The site would be aimed at a particularly artistic audience. It would therefore make bold use of imagery. Above all, a commitment to user experience would lead the way.

Conduct User Research and Analysis to Make a Great Start

Talking to end-users is always a great way to begin any job. That’s especially true of website builds. We would use a range of flexible approaches to ensure the perfect site.

Design an Ideal User Journey to Encourage Exploration

Armed with insight from our user research, we would use this knowledge throughout the build.

Create a Beautiful-Looking Website that Celebrates Sculpture

With user journey and experience analysed, we would think carefully about the site’s look and feel. A largely artistic audience would expect a beautifully designed digital space.

Build a Robust WordPress Website that’s Easy to Maintain

Even the most amazing website is a drain if you can’t update it. We would present a site that was easy to look after in addition to looking great.

Introduce a Customised Booking Functionality That’s Open all Hours

With the Workshop offering courses and workspaces, we would build an intuitive WooCommerce-based booking system.

Use the Latest SEO Strategies to Boost Visibility

If no one can find your site, all your effort is wasted. We would make sure the Workshop’s site stood out in searches.

Be On Hand with Software and Maintenance Support

Finally, as with all of our WordPress website builds, we would offer ongoing technical support.

Speaking with Users for a Website to Meet their Needs

To arrive at the Workshop’s perfect website we firstly spoke with staff. Secondly, we also interviewed a number of users. Our interviews told us that, above all, clarity was important. The Workshop is a busy facility. There is always lots going on. For instance, courses, exhibitions and events happen regularly. Talks and presentations are also common. Educational visits are welcomed too. Visitors also enjoy an on-site café. Bright navigation was led by bold visuals. Our UX design invited exploration and made for an easy user journey.

Using Striking Images to Tell the Story

Sculpture relies on lots of interesting tools. Our website design and image strategy therefore included these gadgets. In addition, we also mixed images of users at work and also the sculptures themselves.

Making Updates Easy with a Thoughtful Website Build

We recommended a WordPress build to ensure an updateable site. This platform allowed Hookson unlimited creative freedom. Similarly, the Workshop welcomed a website that was, most importantly, easy to manage. Hookson always matches the correct content management system to client needs.

Driving Activities with a Customised WooCommerce Booking System

Booking either a course or a workspace had been compromised by an outdated telephone-based system. As well as operating only during certain hours, the system made it difficult to keep on top of bookings. Hookson spotted a solution and we quickly built out a customised 24/7 booking tool powered by WooCommerce.

For users, the simple calendar system allowed for fast, secure multiple bookings: a real boost to UX. For the Workshop, admin load was reduced and double-bookings and oversubscribed classes were no longer an issue.

During a time of Covid-19, remote booking paid dividends too: it was easy for the Workshop to ensure spaces and classes kept pace with social-distancing measures – another win/win for the business and its customers.

Introducing SEO to Widen Visitors

We used a number of SEO techniques to ensure a top ranking. These included site audits, link building and content optimisation. We also introduced buttons, including those for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. These encouraged sharing, subsequently raising the Workshop’s profile.

Offering Technical Know-How Long After Launch

In conclusion, to ensure a smooth-running site, we provided a reliable technical support service. That’s because even solid sites need attention. From tweaks to security updates, we therefore made sure we were there for the Workshop.

Visit the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop Website