Popping-in?

Our studio is filled with light and music.
There are multiple meeting rooms, a well stocked kitchen, and an indoor garden (with fishpond). Talk to us about access needs, environmental factors and any accommodations we might make to enhance your visit. Pop-in for tea and stay to use a spare desk for as long as you need.

11 Greenwich Centre Business Park,
53 Norman Road, Greenwich
London SE10 9QF

Cog is a Certified B Corporation

Public transport

We’re next to Greenwich train and DLR station. We have a door right on the concourse but it’s different to our postal address. Find us via: what3words.com/hungry.means.author

From Greenwich rail platform

This video shows the route to take from the train that will arrive at Greenwich rail station from London Bridge. There's a gentle slope next to the staircase.

From Greenwich DLR station

This video shows the route to take from the DLR that will arrive at Greenwich DLR station from Bank. There's a lift at the platform level if that's useful.

By car

If you have to come by car, we have a couple of parking spaces. We have a charging point that you are welcome to use if you have an electric car. Call ahead and we'll make sure the spaces are free. Use our postcode (SE10 9QF) to guide you in.

Get in touch

We’d love to hear from you. Use whichever medium works best for you.

11 Greenwich Centre Business Park,
53 Norman Road, Greenwich
London SE10 9QF

Cog is a Certified B Corporation

New project enquiry

It's exciting to chat about potential new projects. We don't have a ‘sales’ team or a form to fill in. Call us or give us a little detail via email and we'll get straight back to you.

enquiry@cogdesign.com

Website support

If you're a client then you'll be best served by calling us or contacting us via ClickUp, otherwise you can use this dedicated email that reaches all of the digital team.

digital@cogdesign.com

Finance questions

This email hits the inboxes of the people who deal with our bookkeeping and finances.

accounts@cogdesign.com

Just want a chat?

Sometimes enquiries don't fall neatly under a heading, do they?

hello@cogdesign.com

Cultural Calendar

A round-up of recommendations and reviews, sent on the first Friday of each month, topped-off with a commissioned image from a talented new illustrator. Sign-up and tell your friends.

Sign me up Cultural Calendar

Cog News

An irregular update of activity from our studio. Showing off about great new projects, announcements, job opportunities, that sort of thing. Sign-up and tell your friends.

Sign me up Cog News

Government guidance for performances: what it mean for arts marketing teams

Government guidance for performances: what it mean for arts marketing teams

The UK government has released a detailed guide to staging performances safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ed has picked out the relevant points for arts marketers.

On Thursday the UK government released a detailed guide to staging performances safely during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I’ve spotted 6 key parts of the new guidelines that will be particularly relevant to marketing managers at performing arts venues when they reopen.

It’s worth noting that I’m writing this summary in mid-July. Advice is still changing rapidly, particularly when it comes to social distancing. Should further guidelines for the performing arts be published, I’ll link to them here.

1. digital ticketing

According to the new guidelines, audiences should be encouraged to buy their tickets online and venues should use e-ticketing where possible.

When performing arts venues reopen your online box office will be more important than ever. Now might be a good time to think about your booking system. Is it clear and easy to use? Is it accessible to older users and disabled audience members?

If you don’t already offer e-ticketing to your customers, talk to your ticketing provider about it. The two ticketing providers we work with the most, Spektrix and Tessitura, both offer contactless and print-at-home ticketing options.

2. test and trace

Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash

Like pubs and restaurants, performing arts venues are asked to assist with NHS test and trace programmes by keeping a temporary record of audiences for 21 days after their visit.

It’s likely that you’ll already be collecting visitor information as part of your booking systems.

But you’ll need to collect test and trace data in compliance with GDPR rules. You’ll need to make visitors aware that their information is also being collected as part of the test and trace scheme, although explicit consent is not required.

You might do this by adding a pop-up to your website. Or by putting this information into your booking path.

Participation in test and trace is voluntary but encouraged, so visitors should be allowed to opt out.

3. socially distanced audiences

When audiences return to venues they’ll need to follow social distancing rules.

Members of the same household will be able to sit together, but members of different households will need to stay two meters apart from each other.

You’ll need to find a way of reflecting this on your seating plans.

Although it’s not specifically discussed in the guidelines, unallocated seating presents all sorts of social distancing headaches that could be solved by using a booking system.

Social distancing rules are reviewed regularly so make sure you’re up to date on the latest changes. Check the government website for the latest advice.

And be aware that social distancing rules are different in ScotlandWales, and Northern Ireland.

4. pre-ordering refreshments

photo by Corina Rainer on Unsplash

The guidelines encourage venues to allow guests to pre-order refreshments and merchandise.

You might want to adapt your online booking system to allow visitors to purchase interval ice creams or show related merch at the same time as they buy their tickets. Talk to your ticketing provider about incorporating this into your booking paths.

We’ve used this feature recently in collaboration with Spektrix, on the site we built for the Comedy Store to help them sell food and drink when punters book tickets.

The guidelines also suggest that programmes should be provided in a digital format. You could send these to your audiences as a PDF. But this is also an opportunity to reimagine programmes for a paper-free, smart phone dependant world.

5. health and safety guidelines

Once your venue has developed a plan for reducing contact and operating safely, you’ll need to communicate this clearly and effectively to your audiences.

Not only will this make your audiences aware of the measures they need to take to protect themselves, but it will also reassure visitors that your venue is as safe as it possibly can be.

Update the relevant ‘visit us’ part of your website with details of your plan to keep audiences safe, or create a dedicated page for Covid-19 advise.

The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience put together some great guidelines when they reopened. And the Royal Academy have added a safety page to their website.

6. digital accessibility

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

Having an accessible website should always be a priority. It means that you’re able to reach a wider, more interesting and more engaged audience. And it means that you are contributing to a society that values everyone equally.

An accessible website is even more important when you’re communicating important health and safety information.

The changes you’ll need to make in order to reopen your venue might seem complicated and confusing to your audience. Clear communication that’s easy to understand will be a really important part of reopening to the public.

Write health and safety information in clear, concise language. And make it available in a format that accommodates assistive technologies like screen readers.

If you’d like to find out more about how you can make your website more accessible, drop us an email on access@cogdesign.com.

The arts in lockdown: five digital responses

Ed gives his take on a handful of brilliant cultural responses to the lockdown.

Insights

It’s great news that open air theatres and outdoor performances can restart. But it’s not clear when indoor performing arts venues will be able to reopen.

What is clear from these guidelines is that when they do, your website will be more important than ever. You’ll need it to sell tickets safely, offer your audience refreshments, display important safety information, and assist with NHS test and trace programmes.

We’re already working with performing arts venues to make sure they get the most out of their websites when they reopen. If you want to find out how we can help you drop us an email or give us a ring – we’re always happy to help.