Bristol Beacon
A bold digital transformation in branding and web design
Bristol Beacon (BB) is a music charity, performance venue and award-winning music education hub. They underwent a significant organisational transformation, including a name change from Colston Hall, a bold new visual identity and a brand-new website.
This project was about more than just a visual refresh – it was about redefining Bristol Beacon’s identity to reflect its values of inclusivity, education and live music. We collaborated with branding agencies Saboteur and Rising Arts Agency to develop a digital presence for BB that fully embraced this new identity, ensuring it resonated with audiences and stakeholders alike.
The challenge
Overcoming a controversial legacy
The venue’s former name was associated with Edward Colston, a historical figure linked to the slave trade, which clashed with its values of inclusivity and accessibility.
Clarifying brand identity
The organisation was more than just a venue; it was also a major music education hub. The old brand did not effectively communicate this dual purpose.
Ensuring digital cohesion
The website needed to bring together Bristol Beacon’s artistic and educational programs under one coherent, engaging platform.
Balancing boldness and usability
A new design approach needed to be visually striking while remaining intuitive and easy for audiences to navigate.
Managing collaboration and content strategy
Coordinating multiple creative teams and ensuring content was structured correctly for launch posed logistical challenges.
“The greater challenge was really all to do with the brand gap, and more specifically from a website point of view it was about giving equal prominence to our artistic and education programme. So hierarchy of information was a really important consideration and it was something we struggled with.”
Duncan Smith, Digital Marketing Manager at Bristol Beacon
The solution
A purpose-driven rebrand
With insights from audience research and expert agencies, the new brand identity focused on the idea and mantra of “Make Space for Music,” reflecting Bristol Beacon’s role as a unifying and joyful force in live music.
A bolder digital experience
We introduced a striking website design that leveraged brand elements such as animated “Beacon Beams” and a dynamic colour palette to create a visually engaging experience.
Content structure and refinement
We developed a curated “What’s On” feed which gave BB the flexibility to have a ‘Netflix-style’ feed, while at the same time having different filtering options. We also created flexible mini-feeds on different parts of the website that were made relevant to slightly different user journeys, enabling BB to balance the visibility of both artistic and educational programming.
Technical improvements for better usability
The new site prioritises digital accessibility, faster load speeds and flexible content management, ensuring longevity and ease of use.
Seamless multi-team collaboration
Regular discussions with branding partners Saboteur and Rising Arts ensured that every design choice aligned with the organisation’s values while allowing for creative experimentation.
“What stood out from my point of view about Substrakt was your approach to the Discovery process and how to understand audiences. And also your ability to interpret brands, and that came across whether you were thinking about it from a technical or wider organisational purpose perspective. I felt that you really understood how to interpret and engage key brand values, which we got a real sense of through the several conversations we had with you.”
Duncan Smith, Digital Marketing Manager at Bristol Beacon
Bristol Beacon’s new site has transformed the user experience, strengthened its brand identity, and seamlessly unified its artistic and educational programmes.
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