Saint James' Episcopal Church

Areas for improvement:

SJEC digital spaces were active prior to the pandemic but user feedback highlighted the need to improve the overall user experience of the website. The key areas identified for improvement were:

• Navigation confusion: The website structure proved to be a challenging experience for parishioners who were unable to successfully navigate through web pages with confusing layouts and broken links.
• Slow page load times: The website featured large images and poor-performing WordPress plugins. This resulted in slow load times. This issue was further stressed by the limited access to high-speed internet in Fauquier County.
• Information inaccuracy: Users reported that it was challenging to stay updated on information for various ministries, events, and news through the website. This resulted in many parishioners not learning about community opportunities until they had already passed.

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Approach:

I was given a lot of creative control while redesigning the website for Saint James’ Episcopal Church. I wanted to make sure the website truly reflected the community it serves, so I reached out to key stakeholders, during the discovery phase, to get a better understanding of their needs and wants for the site. Through my conversations, I learned that the website needed to be easy to navigate, up-to-date, and inviting. It needed to bring the church’s events to life for family members of all ages with photos and the language used.

So, I got to work! I began by conducting an assessment of the current website, creating a document outlining the sitemap, the information present on each page, and areas where improvements were needed. I sought inspiration from other websites that focused on community engagement and put together a plan for the website, defining the sitemap and content structure, and creating rough wireframes for the main pages. I then moved on to the design phase, creating a mockup in Adobe XD to clearly communicate the look and feel of the website. I carefully selected a color theme, typography, and imagery that aligned with the branding of SJEC.

After getting the approval of Church staff members, I moved on to the development stage using webflow. Simultaneously, I also worked to archive the outdated WordPress website.

To ensure the website was fully functional and met the requirements set out during the discovery phase, I put the website through thorough testing across different devices and browsers and also requested church staff members to test the beta site.

Due to the hard launch deadline set by the need to switch domain and host providers, I focused my efforts on the most important layouts and features. Once the website was launched, I created a form for parishioners to provide feedback and help improve their experience on the new website.

So, I got to work! I began by conducting an assessment of the current website, creating a document outlining the sitemap, the information present on each page, and areas where improvements were needed. I sought inspiration from other websites that focused on community and put together a plan for the website, defining the updated sitemap and content structure, and creating rough hand-drawn wireframes for the main pages. I then moved on to the design phase, creating a mockup in Adobe XD to clearly communicate the look and feel of the website. I carefully selected a color theme, typography, and imagery that aligned with the branding of SJEC.

After getting the approval of Church staff members, I moved on to the development stage using webflow. I also worked to archive the outdated WordPress website.

I put the website through thorough testing across different devices and browsers and also requested church staff members to test the beta site. This ensured the website was fully functional and met the requirements set out during the discovery phase.

Due to the hard launch deadline set by the need to switch domain and host providers, I focused my efforts on the most important layouts and features. Once the website was launched, I created a form for parishioners to provide feedback and help improve their experience on the new website.

I am currently maintaining the website by managing its content and monitoring its performance to make sure that the website runs smoothly.

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