A new website for...

  • UX Design
  • UI Design
  • Web Development

The National Centre for Circus Arts involves thousands of people in the creation and performance of circus every year. From professional training to grassroots engagement, their mission is to champion the development of circus as both an industry and an art form.

As an educational body, the centre offers a BA Hons degree in Circus Arts, in addition to structured progressive training programmes for those under 18.  They also provide professional development opportunities for aspiring and established performers.

The challenge

The centre’s previous website was confusing to navigate, and more focused on the organisational structure than the needs of the user. It was also hard to maintain and not well integrated with Spetrix, their online booking system.

The NCCA was looking for a new website that was clean, accessible and focused on the needs of their various audiences. It also needed to be easy to maintain by a team who weren’t technical.

The work

We worked with stakeholders from across the organisation to understand and prioritise the various functions of the website. Through an iterative process of workshopping & testing, we redesigned the site structure and user experience so that it worked for each different audience.

The NCCA wanted a site that was pared back and minimal so that their striking imagery would stand out. Users also needed to be able to easily search for courses that were suitable for their age-group and skill level, whilst also getting the detailed information legally required. Due to the centre’s status as a Public Sector body, we needed to ensure that all regulatory and compliance measures were met.

In addition to this, a degree of flexibility was needed. This was so that teams could adjust the branding of key components in line with upcoming events & shows. This needed to be achieved without compromising the integrity of the overall brand.

When it came to development, we took component-based approach. This made sure that all page content could be managed flexibly in-house, without requiring additional technical support. The responsive site was built to allow for video, audio and blog content as well as handling integrations with Spektrix and Mailchimp.

 

Visit Website
Pixel Fridge took on board a complex brief, and presented us with a solution that addressed internal needs while remaining user focused... They were able to break down perceived hierarchies to develop a website that puts our participants, audiences and customers first.
Philip Nichols, Head of Marketing and Communications at NCCA