So, how do we look?
We’re not doing a big reveal — no red-carpet celebration or fireworks. But Capacity Canada is, by way of this blog, inviting friends and acquaintances to check out our new website.
The old one wasn’t really that old. A mere year since it’s last revamp. Websites, though, are like dogs: they mature quickly, and get a tad mangy without regular grooming and the occasional, full-on, scrub.
That task fell to Shubhagata Sengupta and Pedja Ristic, Capacity’s tech whizzes who, among other duties as assigned, keep the organization hitched and rolling on social media. They worked on the redesign for a month.
“You want to keep the branding consistent, while finding things that are new and innovative,’’ Ristic says.
Capacity’s colours are the same, and the fonts haven’t changed — still lean and clean.
But the pages have more impact — that’s a word we use a lot around here — thanks to the use of big, margin-to-margin pictures drawn from Capacity’s boot camps, workshops and other events. And they change automatically, just to keep things interesting. Web designers call them “hero sliders.”
What’s more, the landing pages have an economy of text. Eyes aren’t bouncing around grey blocks of words to get to where they want to be. Icons, pictures and headings help visitors drill down to the detailed information they seek.
Combined, the changes create a livelier, more fluid experience.
Among other features on the new site:
- Separate pages for Capacity’s special programs, such as EvalU and Social Prosperity Wood Buffalo;
- An easier-to-use tool to book into Capacity events;
- A mobile-friendly user experience.
OK, I snuck in that last one. Mobile functionality is a carry-over from the old site.
But it underscores how people get information these days. Google Analytics, which has driven many of the changes on the new site, shows smartphones as the second most popular means of visiting the Capacity site.
Computers (laptops and desktops) and tablets rank first and third, respectively. For mobile users, the website sets up an uncomplicated, linear visit while still delivering the same breadth of information.
Mobile “was something we really paid attention to,’’ Sengupta says. “There are a lot more mobile users than ever before, and that’s something you can’t ignore these days.”
Makes sense. As Capacity grows into a national organization, it has to have the right tools to extend its reach and inform charitable non-profits of its services and programs.
The new website is a welcoming place to start.
