The OMF Team was excited to return to the Consortium’s website, having designed their original website many years ago. With mobile optimization becoming a critical element of online presence, it was time for a refresh. Overwhelmingly, mobile devices are used for internet browsing even at homes and workplaces, where desktops are likely available. Websites that respond to screen size, resizing the page so that users can see all menus and content without pinching or zooming, have much greater success in encouraging traffic and giving users a positive experience. Additionally, Google preferences mobile-friendly websites in organic searches from mobile devices, increasing the likelihood a user will find the site in the first place. The OMF Team was committed to uplifting the Consortium’s online presence to meet the highest standards. Because mobile-friendly programming significantly differs from static programming, it was far more cost effective to rebuild the website from the ground up than to make their original site mobile-friendly. We had an opportunity to update their online presence in a comprehensive way.
This project was twofold, also including a redesign of their tradeshow banners. We decided to break with common practice by designing the banners first, and use them to inspire the website development. This approach was better suited to the project because the goal was to modernize the look and feel of their website, while maintaining their existing brand. The new treatment of the brand in the banners gave us a clear and simple template for the website.
The Consortium is a complex organization with many moving parts and stakeholders. We specialize in serving such organizations, and excel at distilling a lot of information and functionality into easy-to-use structures to meet the needs of each user.
Just as important was to communicate that the Consortium is approachable, they care about students, and are passionate about what they are doing. The OMF Team kept this in the forefront of their minds as they refreshed and updated the features and feel, leading to a finished product that helps the Consortium serve their community and above all, the young students who need their help.
