WEB DESIGN IN SQUARESPACE
UX DESIGN
SITE ARCHITECTURE
WIREFRAMING
CONTENT MANAGEMENT
CMS TRAINING
WEB ACCESSIBILITY
SEO BASICS
The Town of Caroline, a close-knit, rural community, needed a fresh and user-friendly website that reflected its values while providing essential services and resources to its residents.
Their previous site, built in Weebly, had become outdated in terms of both design and functionality, making it challenging for town officials to manage content and for residents to find important information.
I was brought in to redesign and rebuild the website using Squarespace, focusing on modernizing the site, improving usability, and enhancing accessibility.
Challenges
Outdated Platform: The original site was built in Weebly, a platform with limited customization options, making it difficult to update and maintain.
Navigation Issues: Residents struggled to find critical information such as meeting agendas, town services, and announcements.
Lack of Accessibility: The old site did not adhere to modern web accessibility standards, making it harder for some users, especially those with disabilities, to navigate.
Inconsistent Design: The previous design lacked imagery, cohesion and didn’t reflect the town’s character or values, leading to a poor user experience.
Approach
Discovery & Research: I began the project by gathering feedback from town officials and staff to identify key pain points with the existing website. I focused on improving content organization and making the site easy to navigate for users of all technical abilities.
Content Migration: I transferred all the content from the Weebly platform to Squarespace, ensuring no data or important information was lost during the migration process.
Redesign: I crafted a modern, intuitive design that balanced aesthetics and functionality. The new design emphasized simplicity, clean lines, and ease of use while maintaining a connection to the town’s identity.
Accessibility: I ensured the new website complied with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), improving the experience for users with disabilities by integrating accessible fonts, high-contrast color schemes, and easy navigation.
Responsive Design: I implemented a fully responsive design, ensuring that the site worked smoothly on all devices—desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Solutions
Content Restructuring: I reorganized the site’s structure to make critical resources like upcoming meetings, local news, resources, and offices easily accessible from the homepage.
Modernized Aesthetic: The new site featured a clean and cohesive design, which aligned with the community’s values and identity, enhancing the overall experience for visitors.
Simplified CMS: Moving to Squarespace provided the town’s staff with a more intuitive content management system, empowering them to update the website without the need for technical expertise.
Accessibility Improvements: By adhering to WCAG guidelines, the site became more inclusive, ensuring that all residents, including those with disabilities, could navigate the site effortlessly.
CMS Training: After the site was rebuilt in Squarespace, I trained the town’s administrative staff to manage and update the site content easily.
Results
Increased Engagement: Following the redesign, there was a noticeable uptick in site traffic, as well as positive feedback from both residents and town officials.
Improved Usability: The streamlined navigation allowed residents to quickly find important information like town meeting schedules, documents, and local services.
Empowered Administration: Town officials gained the ability to easily manage and update content, reducing their reliance on external support and improving communication with the community.
Inclusive Design: The site now accommodates all users, ensuring a smooth and accessible experience for everyone, regardless of device or ability.
Lessons Learned
This project highlighted the importance of listening to community feedback, diving into the needs and goals of town leadership, and translating them into design solutions.
I gained valuable experience in migrating content between platforms. By focusing on accessibility, I ensured that the website serves a wider audience and meets the needs of a diverse community.
As a bonus – I learned a great deal about how towns operate!
Conclusion
The redesign of the Town of Caroline’s website has not only modernized its online presence and visual appeal, but has also improved its functionality and accessibility.
By redesigning its website, the town now enjoys a streamlined process for managing content, while residents have a more user-friendly platform to engage with local resources.
This project successfully positioned the town for improved communication with its residents in a digital age.
