Digital accessibility: A commitment to continuous improvement
True digital accessibility is about consistency, commitment and curiosity – not checklists, writes Maisie Burn of Substrakt.
Editorial Partner: Substrakt
ArtsProfessional is working in partnership with Substrakt to present a series of articles and case studies exploring the many ways in which arts and cultural organisations can embrace the world of digital.
Substrakt is a digital agency specialising in the Arts and Culture sector. We partner with cultural organisations around the world to deliver work that gives everyone simple and immediate access to inspiration, discovery and joy through cultural experiences. We design and build websites and digital products alongside providing strategic consultancy, training and support services.
We care about making a positive, sustainable and impactful difference for our sector, our clients, our team and our communities, through initiatives such as our Tech in Culture EDI Alliance and recently becoming a BCorp.
Posts
Digital sustainability: Beyond website calculators
The journey towards more sustainable digital futures is complex. Every thoughtful choice helps, but it’s important to retain a h…
Digital infrastructure: An organisational strategy, not just an IT issue
It’s tempting to treat digital infrastructure as purely technical, to be handled by specialists. But it’s deeply strategic, wr…
AI Mode and the future of search: What it means for cultural organisations
Google’s AI-powered search is changing how people find information – and potentially reducing website traffic for arts and culture…
A practical guide to user journey mapping in the arts
By surfacing real world behaviours, journey mapping is a useful tool in designing relevant and useful experiences, as Substrakt’…
Your go-to guides to AI
We are at an inflection point with AI. To help cut through the noise, Substrakt’s Katie Moffat has curated a list of the current…
Reducing the carbon footprint of your digital activity
It’s tempting to dismiss digital sustainability as too big of a challenge to tackle, writes Substrakt’s Zosia Poulter. But the…
Accessible content matters
While most people are aware of the importance of an accessible website, not everyone knows how to do it. Substrakt’s Kathryn Mas…
User-centred thinking: Bridging the gap between assumption and truth
Anyone involved in marketing, or creating websites or digital products will know the phrase ‘You are not your customer&rsquo…
Digital content: Less like marketing, more like journalism
A focus on niche audiences and regular content formats could be key to amplifying a new type of storytelling, writes Zosia Poulter…
Is curiosity a leadership superpower?
Curiosity has been described as a leadership superpower, but unfocused curiosity can be frustrating, confusing and ineffective for…
2024 set to be a groundbreaking year
The speed of innovation in the digital world can be hard to keep pace with and, as Katie Moffat writes, this is going to be a roll…
AI: Understanding the implications of fast developing technology
Artificial intelligence has been around for years but, as Katie Moffat writes, the new generation of AI tools can be used by anyon…
Recruiting for digital
Recruiting for digital roles is tricky, which is understandable given cultural organisations have not traditionally had to hire fo…
Using data to inform content strategy
Data and insights are at the heart of good business decisions but finding the time can be a challenge. Curiosity and incremental l…
How can arts organisations improve online giving?
In the competitive field of fundraising, digital gift giving has been experiencing a boom, as Stephanie Clark explains.
Changing fast and slow
Research repeatedly highlights that the cultural sector has a capacity issue to address before it can fully realise the benefits o…
2023: A year for squeezing your digital assets
In the fast-changing world of digital, people love to forecast. But rather than focus on the future, Katie Moffat thinks you shoul…
Taking the pain out of digital projects
Getting the go-ahead for a new digital project is exciting. Here Katie Moffat lays down the ground rules to ensure progress is smo…
How many arts administrators does it take to change a lightbulb?
A recent article* from academic and musician Thomas Wolf makes a strident argument that arts organisations employ too many ad…
No return to normal
The way arts organisations responded to the pandemic offered a glimpse of how they could evolve. But a rush to any ‘return t…
How can we future proof digital skills?
When it comes to maximising digital activity, the two most common challenges organisations face are budget and skills, says Katie…
Paying for digital
If there is a universal truth in the arts and culture sector, it is that funding is an eternal challenge. That's even more tru…
Should buying a ticket really be this hard?
Buying tickets online is something people do every day, for thousands of events, on millions of websites, all around the world. Bu…
