The project began with a series of intensive, onsite (at the Annual Meeting) member and committee interviews as Fíonta dove into creative discovery.
The biggest takeaway? Members were hankering for a website as fresh and modern as they are, representative of their diversity, and an online gathering space for the 361 days of the year outside of the Annual Meeting.
Using Drupal 7 and taking advantage of the many customized templates designed by Fíonta has allowed the American Studies Association to communicate at scale with its member base. Improvements to the Annual Meeting online experience directly contributes to greater website usage and brings together previously technically siloed groups. The Jobs and Fellowships board is easy to use, both as an administrator and a job seeker.
Challenges
- Outdated design style without mobile friendliness / responsive design
- The user experience around the Annual Meeting was lacking; members had to rely on the Meeting app for scheduling
- Communities and committees were disjointed, even setting up external mini sites, given technical difficulties with the existing website
Solutions
- Drupal 7 CMS
- Multiple, unique templates for specific types of content
- 3 templates specifically for Annual Meeting, to be used throughout the year
- Integrated jobs and fellowships list
- Submit or review a Call for Paper
- Members-only section and user accounts
