Digital strategy, design and delivery

A playful design studio for arts, culture and climate

Combining technology, creativity and collaborative design to bring diverse audiences together for transformational experiences.

For the latest on play, tech, culture and sustainability sign up to Ben's newsletter.

World-leading organisations partner with Thought Den

Thought Den client logos: Tate, National Gallery, Natural History Museum London, British Museum, Natural History Museum of Utah, Smithsonian, Roundhouse, Southbank Centre

Consulting, creating and maintaining since 2008

Big challenges, little steps

Workshop the early phases of concept development to explore inspiring examples, define constraints, create a shared vision and build rapid prototypes to test with end users.

Multi-disciplinary magic

Your shortcut to a tight team of planners, designers, artists and engineers dedicated to beautiful diagrams, clear copywriting, compelling mechanics and popping graphics.

Hard-working technology

Whether custom-built electronics, million-dollar immersive experiences or a single touchscreen for international touring, we sweat the tech so you don't have to.

You might know us from projects such as...

Critical Action Lab - Experiments in community action - This US-based collaboration between national organisations combines inspiring films, multiplayer games and live events to support young people taking action in their local communities.
Save Your Stream! - Family fun in Utah's best museum - A short, sharp and super-fun game for touch-tables and mobile that challenges families to work together to protect their water supply
The Bumper Immersive R&D Deck - Curating the best in high- and low-tech cultural immersion - images and stats of the big immersive installations, from Atelier des Lumieres and Connected Worlds to London's Frameless
Total Darkness - Remodelling science engagement for the Science Museum - An online adventure game and one of the first projects under a bold new strategy for engaging young people and building their confidence in science skills.
Magic Tate Ball - Unlocking the archive for the Tate - A pioneering mobile app, critically acclaimed around the world for the playful way it connects casual art fans with Tate's collection. The app uses live contextual data like date, weather and location to match an artwork to that particular moment in time.
Capture The Museum - Celebrating the space with National Museums Scotland - A live-action, multiplayer game for museum spaces, designed to welcome a new generation of visitors into the building and provide new revenue streams for arts and culture organisations.
Design in a Nutshell - Sharing the knowledge with OU - Combining a series of beautiful animations with a multi-platform interactive to demystify six key design movements, sparking dinner table discussion, social sharing and over 1.4 million engagements for Open University.
The Landing Films - Launching 2025 - an inspiring, self-funded film series exploring the challenges of land-based enterprise, community building and creativity around the world. Sign up to follow the story! Sneak a peek at our work in progress
Bobbie Vanchez - our trusty steed.

What our partners have to say

Thought Den's leadership and unwavering commitment to creative work has been instrumental in many NHMU projects. The team excels in partner engagement, facilitation, creative development and storytelling. Together, they bring immense value, working like master quilters to weave diverse perspectives into a cohesive, inspiring vision.

Madlyn Larson, Associate Director of Education Initiatives, Natural History Museum of Utah

I'd particularly like to express my admiration and praise for the way the whole project was managed and for the creative vision and execution. It's been great working with you all and I've enjoyed the shared journey enormously.

Clive Hilton, Open University

Thought Den has the rare ability to combine cutting-edge and creative interactive design with a deep understanding of the technology needed to deliver it.

Kate Raisz, Media Consultant, National Museum of Natural History

I've been so impressed, from start to finish. Ours was a particularly challenging brief and Thought Den responded with intelligence and managed the project with sensitivity. An absolute pleasure.

Josh Blair, Science Museum

As founding residents of The Pervasive Media Studio, your creative energy, open approach and ability to collaborate were instrumental in our early success.

Clare Reddington, CEO, Watershed