Website design and build

Aquaterra

A best in field sports site for Aquaterra.

Aquaterra is a charity funded by Islington Council that endeavours to develop and sustain healthier, happier and fitter communities. The charity manages leisure centres across the UK. Our work included digital strategy, architecture & wireframing, website design & build, digital publishing.

Expertise

Sector

/ NGO & Third Sector

Topics

/ Bright / Learning / Sport

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We are very happy with the results we have achieved. With a site designed with core functions in mind, you are looking for trends opposite to say a publishing type site. Reduced on page times indicate users being able to retrieve information quickly before exiting or moving on. We also greatly reduced the need to navigate down dead end user journeys by reducing the number of pages drastically with the result of users being better aided through their journeys
We looked to combat crucial user experience issues from the existing site. These included issues with navigation, broken user journeys and replicated yet orphaned content
We quickly identified that a sports centre was central to the data structure and built relationships of information around the page type. This enabled the editing process of the website to be fluid and intuitive
We implemented a system whereby master page types contained a number of page modules which were edited in a separate workflow. This ensured that the master page types retained content which is never out of date or overlooked. We effectively removed the problem around orphan content
We built custom post types which fed directly into the core centre home page type. We built a consistent editorial structure which ensured all content across the site adhered to publishing policies. This resulted in a very stable and expected user experience
The website was to be used and populated by a number of authors. We created standardised publishing templates which enabled the authors to bring together previously disparate content within an easy to understand framework
We were provided with a brand identity to work from. We wanted to take this identity and bring it to life in the digital environment. We therefore researched our favourite uses of infographics, sporting media and imagery
The design of the site utilised a simple and responsive layout utilising a core colour palette to communicate functional journeys and page information
Whilst we had serious budgetary restraints on the use of imagery, we were still able to provide guidelines for usage so that we could encourage the web authors to build consistency across the site look and feel
Following research of site users, we found that no less than forty percent of users were using the site from a mobile device. We developed the CMS framework around optimising the experience for users on the go.
We ensured that the design of the site adapted to all digital environments. Particular focus was paid to any graphical elements adapting to orientation change. We also built a custom Google Map API for locational based queries
Our most challenging endeavour was to design a traditional table structure which worked across a wide screen, yet adapted gracefully into a restricted environment. This involved switching the table content around as the page size is reduced
We adapted the responsive design right down to a single column layout so that mobile users could easily navigate the site without compromising on legibility of content

We are very happy with the results we have achieved. With a site designed with core functions in mind, you are looking for trends opposite to say a publishing type site. Reduced on page times indicate users being able to retrieve information quickly before exiting or moving on. We also greatly reduced the need to navigate down dead end user journeys by reducing the number of pages drastically with the result of users being better aided through their journeys

Sector Spotlight

NGO & Third Sector

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Our task was to increase site functionality by presenting it in a user-friendly way, making Aquaterra accessible for all.

Aquaterra’s existing website was extremely hard to navigate, with duplicate pages and redundant data. Our task was to increase site functionality by presenting it in a user-friendly way, making Aquaterra accessible for all. We were tasked in the creation of a mobile first community HTML 5 website. Content was curated depending on user’s location and interests for an audience ranging from young children to senior citizens. A diverse audience uses Aquaterra’s site: it was therefore paramount that the UX was very strong for all users. We primarily achieved this through simplifying the entire look and feel of the site, employing large typography and outlining key information to increase task completion.

We looked to combat crucial user experience issues from the existing site. These included issues with navigation, broken user journeys and replicated yet orphaned content
We quickly identified that a sports centre was central to the data structure and built relationships of information around the page type. This enabled the editing process of the website to be fluid and intuitive
We implemented a system whereby master page types contained a number of page modules which were edited in a separate workflow. This ensured that the master page types retained content which is never out of date or overlooked. We effectively removed the problem around orphan content

We built custom post types which fed directly into the core centre home page type. We built a consistent editorial structure which ensured all content across the site adhered to publishing policies. This resulted in a very stable and expected user experience
The website was to be used and populated by a number of authors. We created standardised publishing templates which enabled the authors to bring together previously disparate content within an easy to understand framework

Expertise Spotlight

We delved deep into the controller software space analysing a wealth of sliders, faders and buttons.

Digital & UX

View case studies

On the phone app, 20 columns were reduced to just a couple in order to optimise usability and mobile usage has increased significantly.

Furthermore, we developed a solution whereby the content was automated according to sport preference and location. We also wanted to represent data in a way that was compatible with the medium used. On the phone app, 20 columns were reduced to just a couple in order to optimise usability and mobile usage has increased significantly. In addition to this, we made the graphical interface including functional buttons much bigger.

We were provided with a brand identity to work from. We wanted to take this identity and bring it to life in the digital environment. We therefore researched our favourite uses of infographics, sporting media and imagery

The design of the site utilised a simple and responsive layout utilising a core colour palette to communicate functional journeys and page information
Whilst we had serious budgetary restraints on the use of imagery, we were still able to provide guidelines for usage so that we could encourage the web authors to build consistency across the site look and feel

Expertise Spotlight

The limited use of content applied to interesting infographic modules greatly assists consumption on smaller viewports.

Websites & UI

View case studies

60% of visits are reaching goals within 1 click, compared to a previous 40%.

Social interaction and sharing have been significantly improved and users complete their goals much quicker. Before, it wasn’t uncommon for users to visit more than 20 pages on a single visit. Now, 60% of visits are successful within 1 click, compared to a previous 40%. Furthermore, greatly improved SEO leads to quicker site usage. Finally, the entire site now promotes more relevant content via smart tagging and taxonomy design.

Following research of site users, we found that no less than forty percent of users were using the site from a mobile device. We developed the CMS framework around optimising the experience for users on the go.

We ensured that the design of the site adapted to all digital environments. Particular focus was paid to any graphical elements adapting to orientation change. We also built a custom Google Map API for locational based queries
Our most challenging endeavour was to design a traditional table structure which worked across a wide screen, yet adapted gracefully into a restricted environment. This involved switching the table content around as the page size is reduced

We adapted the responsive design right down to a single column layout so that mobile users could easily navigate the site without compromising on legibility of content

Website design and build

Aquaterra

A best in field sports site for Aquaterra.

Expertise

Sector

Topics

Sector Spotlight

NGO & Third Sector

Expertise Spotlight

Digital & UX

Expertise Spotlight

Websites & UI

SOME MORE OF OUR RELATED WORK

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA)

Childnet

Microbiology Society

Website design and build

Aquaterra

A best in field sports site for Aquaterra.

Expertise

Sector

Topics

Share

Sector Spotlight

NGO & Third Sector

Expertise Spotlight

Digital & UX

Expertise Spotlight

Websites & UI

SOME MORE OF OUR RELATED WORK

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA)

Childnet

Microbiology Society