When ADG wanted to redesign their website, it was decided early on in the process that the new site needed two very important elements. The first was an easy to update CMS solution so that content would remain fresh and would act as a tool for easy editing for anyone in the marketing department to update. The second was that the user interface had to reflect the firm's profile. ADG believes in the tenets of authentic, contemporary architecture and achieving the highest standards of design quality.
I worked as the project manager / designer and partnered with Curtis Larewnce, web designer / developer of CAL Design Group, to complete the job. Together, we incorporated several design elements into the new interface.
One of the most important elements was the use of the large hero images on the homepage and on internal pages. This element brought focus to design (reflecting the firm profile) and the details of each project. We also used card design segments that helped to distribute information in a visual way so that the visitors can easily consume bite-sized pieces of content without being overwhelmed. In addition, we paid special attention to site architecture and navigation so that visitors to the new site would not have to dig deep to find what they were looking for. We identified first tier, second tier, and third tier audiences and built the site with these audiences in mind.
By breaking our portfolio into three subcategories (public safety, civic government, and criminal justice projects), we proactively provided a more direct path for decision makers. Another attribute we included in the navigation was the use of a sticky menu. Sticky, or fixed, navigation is basically a website menu that is locked into place so that it does not disappear when the user scrolls down the page.
Another consideration we incorporated into the site was responsive design. We know many of our visitors and future visitors may be coming from their phone, tablet, or desktop computer. The site was built in Wordpress and is responsive. We wanted to keep a similar experience for our audience whether they were on a mobile device or regular desktop computer. After the site was up for a year, we determined through analytics that the majority of repeat visitors to the site were using a mobile device to view the ADG website.
