Studio A is a professional arts studio dedicated to supporting the careers of artists with intellectual disability. The organisation has a clear mission: to dismantle the barriers that prevent artists with disability from fully participating in the arts, and to position their work at the centre of contemporary Australian culture.
In 2021, Studio A engaged Meeum through Creative Australia’s Digital Strategist-in-Residence program to help strengthen their digital capability. Our work focused on strategic planning and vendor selection for a new website and ecommerce platform that would better reflect the professionalism, ambition, and scale of the organisation.
A complex system, stretched too far
By the time we started working together, Studio A was managing three key systems that didn’t integrate:
- A Squarespace website with limited ecommerce functionality
- A custom-built catalogue and inventory system (DIS)
- Additional manual systems to track sales, stock, and artist profiles
Managing these systems required significant manual work and relied heavily on individual staff. It was inefficient, unsustainable, and risky.
Studio A needed a digital platform that matched the quality of its program and the calibre of its artists, one that made it easier to manage artwork, increase sales, and allow staff and artists to confidently navigate the digital environment.
Our role
Meeum worked with the Studio A team to:
- Audit the organisation’s existing digital infrastructure
- Identify key priorities for improvement, based on real user needs
- Run collaborative ideation sessions focused on ecommerce, collections, and user experience
- Document functional, cultural, and accessibility requirements for the new system
- Draft a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP)
- Support the review and selection of the right development partner
The brief: more than just ecommerce
From the outset, the goal was not just to replace systems — it was to ensure the technology genuinely supported Studio A’s mission. That meant:
- Artist-first content and design
- A back-end that supported staff with varying levels of digital literacy
- Strong integration with finance and CRM tools (Xero, Square, HubSpot)
- Clear pathways for sales, licensing, leasing, and donations
- Accessibility at every level, including admin areas used by Studio A’s artists
Meeum helped define and document these requirements, ensuring the final RFP was both technically comprehensive and grounded in Studio A’s values.
From strategy to implementation
Once the RFP was complete, we supported Studio A through the selection process. We helped evaluate proposals, ask the right technical questions, and identify the vendor most aligned with the organisation’s ways of working.
The new website serves as a single, integrated platform that supports artist promotion, sales, and community engagement. It’s accessible, easy to manage, and purpose-built to reduce admin burden across the team.
“We came out with a really robust RFP – something that truly reflected who we are and where we want to go.”
Christopher Haysom – Digital Solutions Manager at Studio A
Impact
The website rebuild has enabled Studio A to:
- Work more efficiently across sales, curation, and order fulfilment
- Increase access to income streams for artists
- Provide a more engaging experience for clients and collaborators
- Put artists and their stories at the centre of their digital presence
- Build a platform that reflects their leadership in the arts and disability sector
This project was one part of a broader strategic process that helped clarify Studio A’s digital vision, improve team confidence, and set a strong foundation for growth.
Explore more
Want to read more about how we work with organisations like Studio A? Check out our resources or get in touch to chat about your next project.
For over fifteen years, Elyse has worked to build thriving companies. She has spent her career nurturing organisations, their culture and the people within them.
She has founded and exited her ...