Overview: ‍

A website upgrade serves as a crucial component for any organization aiming to stay relevant and effectively communicate its mission in the digital age. By partnering with Tweak Agency, the Door County Historical Society embarked on a journey to revamp its online platform, aiming to showcase its work, engage visitors, and facilitate seamless interaction with the society's resources and events.

In this case study, we will explore the challenges faced by the Door County Historical Society's previous website, the objectives set for the upgrade, and the innovative solutions implemented by Tweak Agency. Join us as we explore the journey of the Door County Historical Society's website upgrade, revealing the transformative power of collaboration and effective design strategies.

Design goals: 

1. To upgrade their website design, to something not only more functional but a simple, and clean design
2. Create a website that appeals to a diverse audience.
3. Facilitate the online sale of merchandise.
4. Create space for visual materials like photos, live streams and videos for visitors to access.
5. Showcase the weekly and monthly programs that the Door County Historical Society hosts

Interesting tidbits:

1. The society is nearly 100 years old, as it was started in 1926! 
2. The aim of the organization is ‘Collect. Maintain. Share.’ can be seen the need for visual material to be added for visitors: both as photos and videos and to make events available to those who cannot attend. 
3. It was important to the Door County Historical Society to keep to the colors used, as this was carefully chosen and speaks to the organization and its commitment to preserving the history of Door County. 
4. To meet the needs of the diverse group of individuals that support the organization, it was decided to keep some of the forms paper-based and to have a simple, yet effective homepage with clickable menu items.
5. Encouraging visitors to join in the society’s activities is vital: thus the website offers a clear section of the upcoming events, a subscription to the events calendar and a subscription to the society’s newsletter - all on the home page. 

Finished Product:

The website was transferred from Wordpress.com to Wordpress.org to give it more flexibility as well as the opportunity to upload files, install apps and customize the site to the needs of the organization. A parallax style was chosen for the homepage to display the two main interpretive sites that the Door County Historical Society operates. These two sites are the building blocks of the organization and deserve their rightful place. 

The website now boasts layers of information whether for events, programs, tours or merchandise for visitors. Visitors are encouraged to act on the homepage with quick links to a ‘Donate’ page as well as the ‘Membership’ page. 

Contact details and social media integration are easily found by scrolling to the footer on the home page. Tweak Agency also designed new stickers with their lighthouse logo on them: these offer a handy little reminder of the business on outgoing packages or letters. 

Conclusion:

Through the collaboration between the Door County Historical Society and Tweak Agency, the website upgrade successfully transformed the organization's online platform into a powerful tool for staying relevant and effectively communicating its mission in the digital age. 

The design goals for the website upgrade were multi-faceted. The aim was to create a more functional, simple, and clean design that would appeal to a wide audience. The inclusion of visual materials such as photos, live streams, and videos was vital to showcase society's work and make events accessible to those who could not attend in person. Additionally, the website aimed to provide a seamless online selling platform for merchandise and highlight the weekly and monthly programs hosted by the Door County Historical Society. The website design also paid careful attention to maintaining the organization's chosen colors, further reinforcing its identity.

The website upgrade successfully met the needs of the diverse group of individuals supporting society. By keeping some forms paper-based and implementing a simple yet effective homepage with clickable menu items, the website now caters to various preferences and ensures ease of use. Encouraging visitor engagement was a priority, exemplified by the subscription option for the events calendar, the newsletter and the prominent showcasing of upcoming events on the home page.

By partnering with Tweak Agency, the Door County Historical Society was able to revamp its online platform, showcasing its work, engaging visitors, and facilitating seamless interaction with its resources and events. The website upgrade serves as a testament to society's commitment to preserving history and effectively leveraging digital tools to fulfil its mission.