Solano County Library
It had been a few years since the Solano team had taken a holistic look at their website, it was looking a bit overgrown, and was no longer serving the needs of its audience. It was time for a change…
Background
The Solano County Library serves a diverse, public audience who actively use the site to find specific information and content about the library and its services. Their site contains several sources of information, including research databases, catalog and program information. Through a formal RFP process, Solano Library chose ISITE Design to produce a comprehensive vision for the next version of its internet site and for the first version of its intranet.
Challenge
A library should be inviting, warm and inspiring for its many constituents. ISITE Design helped Solano County Library create an online experience that appealed to each targeted demographic.
At the time Solano County Library checked-out ISITE Design, their site failed to meet the basic needs of its diverse customers. The biggest functional challenge facing ISITE was architecting an interface that allowed the Library's audience to rapidly find content that was being pulled from disparate sources. Another challenge was prioritizing the features and functionality of the website based squarely on user needs.
Solution
In order to most effectively draft the architecture, features and functionality of the site to best suit its visitors, ISITE Design conducted several activities. First ISITE Design launched an online survey that separately targeted Library staff and the general public. Next we spent several days onsite in Solano County to conduct meetings and interviews with library staff. The information gathered, combined with existing research data to form a strategic blueprint for the new sites. Finally new information architecture and fresh and vibrant creative design were built into page templates for the new sites in Ektron's CMS400.NET.
Result
The public website has been a huge success in motivating and inspiring the Library's customers. The intranet has enabled staff to effectively communicate and share information online with the click of a button.
“The end product is a beautiful online experience we can maintain thanks to the content management system. Our patrons and staff are thrilled with the new site!”
Services
- Web Strategy
- Information Architecture
- Creative Design
- Application Development
- Content Management
Did you know...
1.5 Million people visited Solano County Libraries last year
