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Digital Foundations: Crafting Acis Group's New Website To Empower Communities In The East Midlands And Yorkshire
Acis Group is a social housing charity, providing over 7,000 homes for residents across the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber. The charity prides itself on its motto of “going beyond the bricks and mortar to create opportunities for people to lead better lives.”
Acis Group also offers a variety of other associated services, including certified training programs designed to help candidates to pick up new skills and qualifications, as well as providing a home adaptations service to help people to enhance their independence.
The Challenge
We were given a brief that would result in one newly developed website that’d host 3 existing websites, while also adding a new service to the site. The sectors were as follows:
• Housing association
• Training
• Home adaptions
• Housing developments
It was fundamental for the site to meet required accessibility practices, namely WCAG 2.1 AA standards. The client also expressed the need for e-commerce capability to be easily added to the site to meet future growth plans. Lead generation tools were another key focus too, supporting wider commercial functionality. An onsite chatbot also needed to be incorporated into the development of the new website, giving users clear access to live chat options. Underpinning the entire brief was the general need to optimise for site speed, giving users a seamless experience and making interacting with content simple.
Our approach was rooted in a deep understanding of Acis Group's vision and user needs. Through focus groups and stakeholder sessions, we gathered invaluable insights that informed the design strategy. Emphasizing simplicity, clarity, and a user-centric perspective, we crafted a website design that not only resonates with Acis Group's brand identity but also enhances user engagement. Our collaborative process ensured that every design element was aligned with the client's objectives, resulting in a cohesive and impactful online presence.
The development phase focused on implementing a flexible content management system and integrating a training platform via API. This required a tailored approach, combining innovative technologies with custom-built solutions to meet the project's unique requirements. Our team successfully navigated the technical complexities, ensuring a seamless content flow between the main website and secondary platforms. This integration has been pivotal in providing Acis Group with the agility to keep their content dynamic and engaging.
To ensure the long-term success of the website, we conducted comprehensive training workshops for various teams within Acis Group. These sessions were designed to empower the client's staff, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to manage the website's content effectively. Our ongoing support and guidance have been instrumental in fostering confidence among the internal team, ensuring they can leverage the full potential of the new website.
