Drupal 8 Redesign for Non-profit, Synergos

Goals

• Bring maximum exposure and audience engagement to Synergos.org
• Enable users to easily find and engage with content
• Provide simple paths to learn about what Synergos does and ways to get involved
• Increase conversions (donations and email subscriptions)
   

Working with Mediacurrent has really helped us move our web presence, and communications in general, forward. They’re strong not just on the technical side of Drupal but also have great expertise in digital strategy and project management. We're a small team at Synergos. The Mediacurrent team really helped us drill down on what our current needs are and how to build to meet those needs while setting us up for future growth.
John Tomlinson, Director of Communications 

Project Highlights

Starting from a Discovery Phase: By investing in project planning and functional definition — (Mediacurrent’s ’Discovery’ phase ) Synergos seized the opportunity to validate the project’s assumptions and mitigate risk associated with conducting a migration to Drupal without the proper planning. During Discovery, the project goals and objectives were evaluated. Together, we defined a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) - the minimum, mission-critical set of requirements to be met for a successful launch. Highly conscious of the project timeline and budget, this approach ensured that the project focus remained on the most critical features and functionality of the site. As a result, Synergos gained a stable platform that can be enhanced over time.

Tracking Success: In the early stages of the project, Mediacurrent defined Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) to quantify Synergos’ goals for the new site. Regular KPI and visitor behavior reports - tracking how users get to the site, interact with it, and finally, how often they convert - serve as key metrics to measure success.

Strategy Meets Design: Beyond a surface-skimming design refresh, Mediacurrent set out to craft dynamic user experiences for donors, corporate clients, and contributors. We applied a deep understanding of user behavior to streamline navigation, improved UX for site admins and site visitors alike. Most importantly, we powered Synergos.org to grow its donor network.

Persona Guided Pathways: To rebuild an ineffective navigation structure, Mediacurrent took a deep dive into understanding Synergos’ competition and users. By restructuring the site architecture and creating a user-friendly design with clear conversion paths, users can more easily donate and subscribe.

UX from all Angles: Mediacurrent’s user personas guided the UX design for specific audiences. Special attention was paid to providing an intuitive Drupal interface. The wireframe and design processes included discussions around not only content from a visitors’ perspective, but also how that content would be managed from the back-end.

Mega Menu: Mega menus, another navigation upgrade, provide direct access to each main subsection, along with an area to include a highlight with a call to action. This option exposes more site pages at a glance, increasing user interaction.

Design: Before and After
The new site design communicates the impact Synergos brings to the world and its partners in a way that’s easy to digest and share.

• The new design focuses on clear and simple brand messaging
• Reduced copy supports a layout centered on visual storytelling
• Powerful imagery communicates the impact a donor’s support has toward the Synergos mission
• On the homepage, interactive elements provide high-level information, guiding visitors to dive deeper on another page
• With a fully responsive design, Synergos reaches a much wider audience
• Mindfulness for Web Accessibility - including thorough testing of color combinations - opens the new site to all users

Results

The website poises Synergos to expand their reach, drive engagement, and increase conversions. Initial results include:

Final Thoughts

Mediacurrent’s Drupal 8 know-how (spanning 45,000+ client hours) and experience planning digital strategies for international nonprofit orgs like CARE and Habitat for Humanity were instrumental in the successful launch of the new Synergos.org. By focusing on the organization's unique value proposition and thought leadership, Mediacurrent helped Synergos take a giant stride toward improving user engagement and growing their audience.