Organization and identity
The Old Fort is a unique research institution under Fort Lewis College, with its own distinct mission, audience, and identity. The goal of this project was to create a fresh brand and website that captured the character of the Old Fort while making its deep repository of research and historical resources easier to explore.
Responsibilities
- Create a new brand for the Old Fort
- Design and build the new site
- Migrate existing content and assets
- Primary stakeholder contact and project management
Results
- Increased active users by 31% and tracked events by 330%
- Reduced sitemap size by 65%, streamlining navigation and improving user experience
- Rebuilt trust with stakeholders by moving project out of backlog
- Explore the Old Fort
Primary Tools
Figma
Bootstrap
Google Analytics
Adobe Creative Suite
Dusting off the cobwebs
The Old Fort redesign had been stalled for nearly three years when I joined Fort Lewis College, leaving stakeholders frustrated and disengaged. To rebuild trust, I created an alternative design alongside the inherited proposal, offering options and showing my commitment to their vision. The project focused on two primary goals: make resources accessible and create a distinct visual identity.
Collecting tools for the job
Given the constraints of building within the DNN framework, I identified a theme package that allowed for customization and faster development. To align the visual identity with the Old Fort’s mission, I collaborated closely with FLC‘s photographer and videographer to collect assets that supported the content with strong visual examples.
Creating a sitemap and streamlining content
I collaborated with stakeholders and a content writer to reorganize and streamline the site’s structure. Using Google Analytics to identify the most viewed pages, I proposed a new sitemap that addressed content gaps. After stakeholder review and alignment, I focused on developing user-friendly content formats to make the Old Fort’s extensive resources more accessible and engaging.
Migrating and building
I built the site in phases, allowing stakeholders to review sections as I completed them. This iterative approach kept the process manageable and ensured alignment throughout. Migrating and integrating content required collaboration with the content writer, stakeholders, and hours of manual input. Dividing the work into sprints made the effort more efficient and less overwhelming. Two specific areas required additional iteration and research:
Research projects
A large, disorganized collection of historical and current research projects posed navigation challenges. I redesigned this section using a card-style layout with categories and a search function, improving navigation and information access.
History
This section needed cultural sensitivity and careful reorganization. This original site content was hidden in layers of pages, making the story of the Old Fort hard to follow, and content hard to migrate. To address the cultural senstivity of the page, I worked with Diversity Affairs to add a prominent land acknowledgment with an audio recording in the universal footer and on the history page. I also coded a visually engaging, responsive timeline to provide a connected view of the Old Fort’s history.
Measuring success
Quantitative
Using Google Analytics, I analyzed success metrics including views, active users, events, and time on page. To account for the Old Fort’s seasonality, I compared data from the same time period in consecutive years (June 15 to December 1, 2023 for the old site, and the same timeframe in 2024 for the redesigned site).
- Improved user traffic and engagement, as seen by the 31% increase in active users, 29% increase in views, and a 330% increase in tracked events
- Led to a 29% increase in page views, demonstrating improved visibility and user interaction without any accompanying marketing campaigns or major program launches
- Average engagement time per user decreased by 50% , which may indicate a more streamlined site, but warrants further exploration through heatmapping or user testing
Qualitative
The site became a key feature in Old Fort presentations, serving as a visual representation of its identity and mission. The stakeholders were pleased with the new site, and continue to provide regular content updates.
