A cultural programme can be visually striking and still leave a visitor unsure how to use it. The performance title may be locked inside an image. A recording may carry the explanation that is missing from the text. Several links may say only 'more', leaving readers to guess where they lead. Good programme content makes the essential information available in a usable form.
Edinburgh's council support for cultural partners, Glasgow's UNESCO City of Music profile and Dundee's City of Design activity provide different settings for a programme website. A festival, a music organisation and a design exhibition all need to explain an experience before a visitor decides to attend. The examples below are planning exercises for cultural teams across Scotland, rather than descriptions of client projects.
Build the text version before the artwork
Start an event entry with the information a person needs to make a decision. State what the experience is, when and where it takes place, how long it lasts if confirmed, and how to find the relevant booking or attendance information. Keep the description distinct from the organiser's internal production notes.
An illustrative Edinburgh festival entry might contain a beautiful poster with the date and venue woven into its design. Those details should also appear as readable page text. The poster can then contribute atmosphere without becoming the only source of practical information. If the artwork changes, the text remains a useful reference for the editor reviewing the entry.
A brief for website design in Edinburgh should show the content team how to enter those details in the CMS. Ask to see an ordinary event entry as well as a highly polished demonstration. The editing process needs to work with the material your organisation regularly publishes.
Let the headings describe the programme
Use headings that distinguish sections by their purpose. A reader should be able to recognise the programme description, practical visit information and booking instructions without reading every paragraph. Give individual entries recognisable titles, especially when several events share a performer or a series name.
The World Wide Web Consortium's accessibility writing guidance explains the value of meaningful titles, structured headings, descriptive links and suitable alternatives for media. These are useful editorial starting points. Technical accessibility also depends on implementation and testing; a clear content outline alone does not establish that a website meets an accessibility standard.
Ask the designer to show how the heading structure is represented in the page, rather than choosing a heading solely for its visual size. Editors should know which fields produce headings and which produce ordinary text. That makes the structure more consistent when different people add programme entries.
Describe the destination of each link
A Glasgow music programme may connect to an artist biography, venue information and an external ticket page. Those are different destinations with different jobs. Use wording that tells readers which one they are about to open. A link labelled with the event name and its booking purpose gives more context than a series of identical 'read more' labels.
Decide where the explanation belongs before adding another button. If the reader needs to know that booking takes place on another website, include that information near the link. If a download contains essential information, identify what it contains and provide a usable page explanation where appropriate.
For organisations considering SEO in Glasgow, informative programme text also helps establish what each entry is about. A performance description, a venue page and a general organisation profile need their own subjects. Filling all three with the same promotional paragraph makes them less useful to visitors.
Give images and recordings a defined role
Decide what a media item contributes. A decorative background, a photograph that explains an installation and an image containing practical instructions require different editorial treatment. Do not assume that the same generic image description will be useful everywhere. Discuss text alternatives in the context of the page and the purpose of the image.
An illustrative Dundee exhibition entry might use a short film to introduce an object. Plan the relevant captions, transcript and explanation of meaningful visual information with the production team. Check names and specialist terms in the final material. Visitors should not need to play the film to discover the basic subject or the next step.
When reviewing branding in Dundee, consider how the programme voice works across text and media. A distinctive identity can still use direct instructions and straightforward descriptions. Visitors should not have to interpret an artistic slogan to understand what an event involves.
Make access information specific to the experience
Ask the team responsible for the experience which practical details they can confirm. Relevant information may concern the setting, seating arrangements, audience participation or available assistance. Present confirmed details accurately and provide a clear route for questions that require an individual response. Avoid a broad assurance that leaves the visitor with no usable information.
Keep the event description and the venue explanation connected. If the website links to a venue's information, check that the destination is relevant to the particular space being used. An organisation with several rooms should not expect a visitor to work out which set of instructions applies.
Review one entry as a complete content package
Before publishing the next programme, select one entry and review all the material that supports it. This provides a useful small exercise for the editor, designer and programme team.
- Read the essential details without opening the poster or playing the film.
- Check whether the title and headings distinguish this entry from related events.
- Read the links on their own and identify their destinations.
- Confirm the role of each image and the planned alternatives for media.
- Check the relevant practical information with the person who owns it.
- Ask the website team to include implementation checks in the launch review.
Giraffe Digital's digital strategy support in Scotland can help cultural organisations connect this editorial work with their website brief, publishing responsibilities and visitor journeys. A usable programme begins with content that gives people enough information to decide what they want to do.
Frequently asked questions
Practical answers to questions about putting this advice into use.
How can cultural organisations make programme pages easier to use?
Provide event names, dates, descriptions, booking links and access information as readable page content. Artwork can support the programme, but essential details should also be available in text that visitors can navigate and enlarge.
What should we check before adding programme videos or recordings?
Define the purpose of the media and consider the alternatives visitors need, including accurate captions for speech and a useful text equivalent where appropriate. Review the controls and access information as part of the complete programme entry.
