SAHMRI

We took a consultative and collaborative strategy approach with the SAHMRI team.

As a world-class research facility, SAHMRI’s purpose is to not only showcase the innovative research being undertaken on-site, but also attract researchers from all over the world, raise funds for their vital research and raise awareness about their vital work. With the SAHMRI project team, we explored what success looks like, and how we might gear the project towards achieving these goals.

Goals included:

• Increasing donor support for SAHMRI
• Increasing awareness about SAHMRI’s programs and mission
• Connecting stakeholders with research programs, teams and outcomes
• Keeping stakeholders up to date with SAHMRI’s latest news and events
• Helping researchers choose SAHMRI as a place to work and apply with ease
• Connecting researchers with current research programs, teams and outcomes
• Helping students choose SAHMRI as a place to do work experience or study, and enable them to apply with ease

Their two existing websites took a ‘divide and conquer’ approach to achieving these goals: one site was geared towards the research and scientific side, and one was a brochure-style site for general awareness and seeking donations. There were multiple cross-overs and commonalities between the two, with users often hopping between both to find the information they are seeking. The SAHMRI team found this often hindered and splintered their efforts. In order to better align their goals with their customers’ needs, and have content that caters to all three user groups, we decided that merging the two sites into one would provide a better, consolidated user experience.

To combine the two sites, we took a user-first approach.

The SAHMRI team had a wealth of information about their key stakeholders and user groups, which assisted our UX strategists in formulating an extensive, cohesive content strategy.

First, our team reviewed heat maps and behavioural analytics from SAHMRI’s existing sites to uncover user pain points and establish areas that required further exploration. From this, we conducted in-person interviews with SAHMRI’s website users to understand their needs, blockers and mental modes. This included researchers, students, media, staff members, donors and the general public, providing our team with a broad yet robust understanding of how people used the sites and what they were looking for.

We created a card-sort exercise using the current content, in order to discover how people understand and categorise information. This was also used to understand how people might label a group of information.

Using insights from user interviews, desk-based research and card sort results, our team compiled a navigation structure, ready for testing. This testing helped us to both validate and trouble-shoot the findability of the topics within the IA. After evaluation and iteration, an improved navigation structure was tested with a new audience in order to avoid biases from the previous test. This final IA had a 88% task success rate: out of all of the tasks completed by participants, 88% of users ended up at a “correct” answer.

In line with the IA compilation, our content strategists performed a thorough audit and analysis of the two existing websites, creating a repository and source of truth for any content movement. The IA was also cross-referenced with keyword research and validation, ensuring that the refreshed site was set up for success with search engines and users alike. This keyword research also uncovered gaps and opportunities for the SAHMRI team to expand their content offering.

With SAHMRI’s brand guidelines and logo as a starting point, the design and art direction commenced.

Before the website design starting taking shape, our focus was on the interpretation and visual representation of the SAHMRI brand through digital art direction. This art direction gave life to the brand guidelines, creating a holistic brand communication approach across digital platforms.

Our designer took cues from both the colourful SAHMRI logo and brand guidelines as well as the smooth curved shape of the SAHMRI building itself. We were also conscious of accessibility, selecting colours and fonts that were easy to read and helped to accentuate and emphasise, rather than distract. Through the curved shapes, the website emulates the look and feel of the iconic building, a landmark site in the heart of Adelaide.

The new SAHMRI website is built in Craft CMS, with custom flexible content components and multiple API integrations.

Highlights of the redeveloped site include:

• Site search, including content in-page
• Form builder
• Donation widget
• Flexible content page builder, including in-page navigation tabs, alternate-background options and accordions.
• Custom researcher profiles, with third-party API integration for dynamic content population