Bay of Plenty Regional Council
An award winning local government site, accelerating digital service delivery.
Our award-winning website represented a significant leap in digital public service delivery for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. It couples a sleek modern interface with a focus on online self-service and easy of use.
This case study explores the process behind the site's creation, highlighting the strategic approach and technological solutions employed to overcome the challenges of a compressed timeframe and the complex requirements of a government entity.
Approach
Our journey involved strategic planning and technology solutions, tackling the challenges of a tight timeframe, a significant volume of content, and an ambitious vision.
Analysis and Planning
We began with a thorough examination of the existing site and council services. This holistic analysis assessed the current content structure, user interaction patterns, and the challenges. We conducted a detailed content audit and held workshops with stakeholders to hone the vision and design requirements.
Information Architecture
The next step was to streamline the site for a more coherent hierarchy and content display, enhancing the user's ability to discover necessary information promptly. We used Treejack to analyse the site's navigation, leading to data-driven improvements. Keeping in mind the time constraints, the backend was designed to allow late-stage content structure and navigational pathway alterations.
UX Design
The User Experience (UX) design centred interaction and accessibility. We emphasised interactive elements and created multiple pathways to content to cater to different user needs. We adopted a modular, pattern-based approach for adaptable design.
Development and Deployment
We built the website on Umbraco, an enterprise-class CMS, and hosted it on Microsoft Azure. We optimized images and interactions for touch-specific devices across Windows, Android, and Apple platforms and integrated essential services including payments, calendars, and document management. By utilizsng a backend scaffold, we expedited development, allowing the content team to begin work before finalising the design.
Recognition
Our work was rewarded with the "Most Improved" and "Supreme Website" awards at the 2019 ALGIM Spring Conference. The website exemplifies strategic planning, user-centered design, technological innovation, and agile development.
The success of this project underlines our commitment to user needs and deploying state-of-the-art tools and methods. The result is a sophisticated site that empowers users to efficiently accomplish their tasks online, setting a new benchmark for local government digital service delivery.
Let’s start creating together.
We’re always up for a chat, talk to us about your next project.
