Theatre Philadelphia turned to I-SITE to design a new website to celebrate and promote professional theatre in the Greater Philadelphia region. Led by a group of local artistic and managing theatre leaders, the organization is best known for its annual Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre.
Key goals for the redesign project included:
- Create a beautiful and bold responsive design
- Deliver improved presentation and search feature for the shows
- Social media integration for Twitter and Facebook
- Development of a more manageable and flexible backend to better suit the organization’s needs
The I-SITE team worked closely with Theatre Philadelphia board member Anne Shuff and Administrative Director Joel Sumner to first review the current site and map out a new architecture, feature set and design direction for the website. It was agreed that the previous site did not take advantage of the wealth of fine photography provided by area theatres that include The Wilma Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Arden Theatre, 1812 Productions among others.
Major consideration in wireframing and design was given to the growing number of theatre lovers looking for information on shows and latest news from the theatre community on their smart phones. The navigation was simplified and new search tools introduced for shows and the Barrymore Awards.
I-SITE proposed building the new website on the Drupal 7 CMS. Theatre Philadelphia already had experience with managing the website on the previous Drupal 6 platform. I-SITE was able to bring its deep experience in building Drupal websites and customized modules for William Penn Foundation, The Painted Bride and Downtown New York among others.
At all stages of design and development key members of the theater community were involved in discussions and evaluations to ensure that the site would be optimized for their needs as well as for the ticket buying public.
I-SITE provided CMS training for key staff and continues to offer ongoing consulting, hosting and support.
The I-SITE team continued its long-term love affair with New York with the redesign of the Downtown Alliance’s website for visitors, residents and businesses.
With an extensive set of features, listings and content for multiple audiences, the I-SITE team collaborated closely with Alliance staff on mapping out a new architecture and features set that would deliver a greatly improved experience to site visitors looking for both information and inspiration.
The fully responsive design is rich in vibrant photography that helps communicate the ongoing revitalization of Lower Manhattan for live, work and play. New customized mapping and search tools were developed to deliver easy access to listings and events on mobile devices as well as desktop computers.
Key features of the new site include:
- Custom searchable maps for locating restaurants, hotels, events and much more.
- Full event list calendar with category filtering and maps.
- New My Visit Planner for saving events and listings to share with friends and family.
- Video testimonials from a host of industry leaders talking about the benefit of locating In Lower Manhattan.
- Improved social Media integration for Twitter and Instagram.
Post-launch the I-SITE team suppported the website, working closely with the Alliance on adding new features and enhancements.
William Penn Foundation, a family foundation with its roots firmly planted in Philadelphia, turned to I-SITE to create a fresh new website to clearly and elegantly communicate its philanthropic mission to the region’s community of innovators and grant seekers.
Established over 70 years ago by Otto and Phoebe Haas the foundation is focused on three program areas; helping improve education for low-income children; ensuring a sustainable environment; and fostering creative communities that enhance civic life and advance philanthropy in the Greater Philadelphia region.
The I-SITE team first reached out to the community to gain insight on what the previous grantees seek most in the Foundation’s website. Coupled with insight from the highly experienced Foundation staff, the team was able to develop a more streamlined site structure with clear call-to-actions. The subsequent wireframe prototypes allowed the team to test the effectiveness of the new approach.
For the design there was strong directive to create an elegant design that is both contemporary but also rooted in the strength and heritage of the Foundation’s brand. I-SITE partnered with award-winning designer Andee Mazzocco of Saygrid on the creative direction of the website. Having previously completed a number of projects for the Foundation, Andee brought extensive knowledge of their programs and design guidelines.
Built on the Drupal CMS platform the website is fully responsive and integrates both video and the full database of grants awarded since 2013. The What We’re Learning section also allows filtering by year and program area.
Since launch in summer 2015 the website has been well received both by the community at large and by the staff as a tool to disseminate information and educate and prequalify potential grantees.
The I-SITE team continues to offer support to the Foundation both for additional features and strategic direction.
On a mission to make a difference by combining their passions for natural, built, and human environments, Philadelphia and Berkeley architects Re:Vision sparked our imaginations when they approached us to design a new website for their firm.
The goal was to develop a fully responsive site for desktop and mobile that demonstrates Re:Vision’s deep understanding of sustainability, design and function. The website serves many audiences including other architects, engineers, community leaders and commercial and residential customers. The focal point of the website is Re:Vision’s impressive portfolio of work. I-SITE developed a custom ‘Build Your Portfolio’ feature for users to assemble and review select projects of interest.
Andee Mazzocco of Sendgrid brought her extensive experience designing informational and marketing programs for architects by collaborating on the concept development and design execution. The team’s goal was to create a functional and elegant responsive design that clearly communicates Re:Vision’s work and expertise.
The site also includes employee profiles and a Blog with articles in a number of different categories including Green Architecture, LEED/Rating Systems and Community Engagement.
Built on WordPress the website launched in May 2014 and has already been recognized with a 2014 Interactive Media Award for Best in Class in the Architecture/Interior Design category.
