Welsh Women’s Aid
A safer world for women and childrenHybrid Studio recently redesigned our websites. During the process they were incredibly understanding of our wants and needs. Nothing was too much trouble for them.
They were approachable, professional and supportive of our goals, which is just a few of the reasons why we come to them first with ideas.
I would highly recommend Hybrid Studio for any project you have. You’ll be in skilled and trusted hands with them.
In the beginning
When we first started working With Welsh Women’s Aid in 2016 their website was outdated, difficult to use and didn’t work properly on mobile devices.
There was little visual hierarchy, the text was difficult to read and it lacked any personality.
Welsh Women’s Aid website in 2016 before Hybrid Studio:
Phase 1 (2016—2022)
In 2016 we designed and built a bilingual WordPress powered website that helped them to grow the organisation, reach more people and run multiple member’s only areas for their various projects.
The website was a giant leap forward for them and served them well for almost six years.
Welsh Women’s Aid website Phase 1 (2016—2022):
In that time the website grew exponentially. Numerous member’s areas were added as new projects were launched, each with its own specific audience.
However, the Content Management System became more difficult to manage as the website scaled. There were too many CMS users creating content without enough control on formatting.
This resulted in poorly designed content for the end user that didn’t always adhere to the brand style.
Phase 2 (2022—)
Having designed and built the 2016 website we had a unique insight into its use. Through knowledge gained from analytics as well as regular consultations with WWA, we were able to form a clear picture of how we could help them evolve their online presence.
Creating a better sense of hierarchy
First we split the separate member’s areas off from the main website. Creating a microsite for each one – Training, Members, Survivors and so on. Many of the microsites have a membership registration system. Visitors must register and be approved in order to access the content on the site.
By keeping them separate it’s better for security, better for managing, better for usability, better all round.
We created a blueprint for Welsh Women’s Aid to be able to create unique new microsites for future projects at the push of a button, while remaining on brand.
Services we provided
Improving the user experience
Across the website as a whole, it was essential that the huge amount of information and resources were easy to navigate and easy to read – while also being visually appealing and enjoyable to spend time on.
To create a stronger hierarchy on the page, we introduced more imagery, revised the design and gave everything more space. We simplified the navigation and were more generous with the text sizes.
With the additional accessibility tool bar, we also made the website far more accessible.
The tools for growth
We created a bespoke page builder tool that allows Welsh Women’s Aid far more flexibility than before when creating page layouts.
They can drop in text, image, video into a single or two column layout. Add a searchable Google map, a list of download links or a carousel of testimonials and lots more.
This helps to keep the page layouts engaging, especially where large amounts of content are necessary. All while maintaining a consistent look and feel throughout, improving the end user experience and helping them to find the information they need quickly.
Getting it right on mobile
It was imperative that the website should be clean, simple and easy to use, especially on devices with smaller screens.
Ensuring that the layout remains uncluttered, the text is highly legible and the site is easy to navigate on mobile is crucial for people visiting the website while on the go.
We’ve been fortunate to work with Welsh Women’s Aid as their digital partner for a number of years. The organisation has changed a lot in that time — and so have their digital needs.
Welsh Women’s Aid can now create an infinite number of page layouts across multiple websites to suit their ever-evolving needs, while always maintaining their brand style.
Most importantly, the websites are easier to use, easier to manage and more accessible.
It has been a pleasure working alongside this incredible organisation to bring this project to life.
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