PADOS Theatre
Digital Theatre Experience
Crafted a full digital experience for the charity to engage audience members and increase sales revenue.
Get the highlights.
increase in site traffic vs previous year
new members vs previous year
quicker customer response rate
Project overview
Deliver a full digital experience for the theatre to improve internal workstreams and increase audience engagement. This included a ticket booking system, a loyalty scheme, a waitlist management process, and enhanced ways to communicate with audiences.
Timelines
6 months (including planning, ideation, design, testing and delivery)
Team role
UX designer and Project Manager – responsible for the overall design and implementation.
Understanding problem areas
Customers are unable to use the digital services to engage with the charity.
Attendance at shows and events has been poor resulting in a lower production quality from cost cutting.
The theatre building is in need of major repairs which requires investment in order to keep serving the community..
The Youth and Junior groups are now at full capacity, but we still need to engage with new participants to meet our charity charter.
Discover more about the problem.
Rewiew the data
Analysis of the data provided insight into site traffic, sales, and underutilised pages. From here, the board could align on priorities and direction of the website’s purpose as an engagement tool.
Member focus groups
Talking with members across the organisation allowed for an understanding of the common problems people faced.
Youth and Junior teams
As a significant source of income, it was paramount to understanding issues in the delivery of the yearly programmes. This also required talking to parents to understand issues being faced, many of which were communication based.
Defining the design area
How might we make the website more accessible, especially to an older audience?
How might we showcase the efforts of the organisation to serve the community to attract external investment.
How might we promote under performing ticket sales to increase revenue.
Measuring success.
Site traffic
Monitoring site traffic numbers to see how changes in the site pages will affect engagement.
Increased revenue
If more people are able to access the site to book tickets, this will positively affect revenue.
Conversion
How many people that engage with the charity's digital effort convert into sales revenue.
Considerations
Stakeholders were needed to be aware of the following factors that were outside of the project control but could negatively effect the project outcome.
Show Quality
If the overall quality of the production or event is subpar, it will likely result in decreased sales, as word of mouth spreads. This could also harm the charity’s reputation and brand image.
Quantity of Events/Shows
Building on the point above, it’s essential to maintain a consistent flow of events or shows for members to engage with. A steady stream of offerings will help sustain interest in the charity and keep its audience actively involved.
Develop and test.
Event planning
Utilised platform features to provide a user-friendly way to create, manage events but to also track their performance to help inform future revenue-driving driving ideas.
Shared inbox
Set up the messaging tool to create an ongoing, shared inbox to communicate effectively with audience members and parents.
Unified branding
Worked with other designers of the organisation to create a consistent branded experience across all channels.
Loyalty scheme
Implemented a full service loyalty scheme to entice repeat business and ongoing support of the charity.
Deliver the solution.
Project reflections.
Created a unified approach on all digital touch points
We launched a monthly members’ newsletter to enhance community engagement. This initiative offered exclusive discounts and insider information, making members feel valued and connected while driving greater brand interaction and increasing ticket sales, which, in turn, boosted revenue.
In parallel, our social media campaigns directed users to the website for additional information and bookings, consolidating traffic to a single, unified source. This streamlined approach eliminated the need for the charity to update multiple platforms, ensuring that any website update automatically kept all audiences informed.
Moreover, we ensured that the mobile experience was fully aligned with the desktop version, allowing members and users to access the charity’s information and make bookings seamlessly, wherever they chose. This approach prioritised accessibility and inclusivity, catering to a diverse range of user preferences.
Testimonial from Claire - Executive committee member
“Working with Ben has been an absolute breath of fresh air. He quickly grasped the core values of our charity and fully understood the challenges we faced, particularly in terms of our limited digital knowledge.
His work ethic has been exceptional, demonstrating professionalism at every step. Ben ensured that all members of our committee were kept informed and involved throughout the process, providing clear communication and addressing how any changes could impact the charity’s mission.
The results of Ben’s efforts have been remarkable, particularly the 117% increase in website traffic. This growth has directly contributed to an increased revenue, higher community engagement and allowing us to better fulfil our mission of making a meaningful impact surrounding the arts.”
Key skills used
User experience design, User interface design, Stakeholder management, User research, Project management