Picking up the pieces and getting a project back on track - in a hurry
PENETRON helped found an industry based on their innovative cementitious waterproofing products and have been an industry leader ever since. But with an online presence starting to show its age and increasing competition, the company had to make a move to stay at the head of the pack.
PENETRON knew they needed a redesigned website. They were looking for a contemporary design putting PENETRON at the forefront of the industry, engaging functionality to highlight their work, a content management system to give them complete control of the site, and of course, it had to be completed on a very tight timeline.
Unfortunately, PENETRON was not yet familiar with Design Brooklyn - and they went with another provider. After some initial progress, the project slowed to a standstill. It soon became clear that PENETRON needed help.
Enter Design Brooklyn
Months behind schedule with only 3 static HTML pages to show for their efforts, PENETRON approached Design Brooklyn for help. We assessed the situation and created an actionable plan to complete the website in an aggressive timeline.
Project Planning
We started by evaluating the work that had already been done. The 3 completed pages (the home page, products page, and contact us page) were static HTML, CSS, and javascript - rather than the content management system (CMS) driven content PENETRON had requested. We decided to implement Design Brooklyn's own CMS as a custom solution to make nearly every aspect of the website editable by PENETRON staff - giving them complete control.
Development
With the content management system installed and the existing static pages now dynamically editable, we moved on to create the remaining pages and website functionality. We focused on providing an optimal user experience with ease of navigation, intuitive and useful interactivity, and a cohesive design throughout the site.
Design Brooklyn worked closely with PENETRON to craft their ideal website features, including:
- An interactive Projects page featuring over 100 of PENETRON's most notable projects from around the world. This helps to give potential customers a visceral feeling for the scope and application of PENETRON's products.
- Randomized home page backgrounds and interior page banner images - with the ability to set specific images for each page.
- Expand/collapse functionality to reduce the need for scrolling and provide clear content organization.
- A dynamic, interactive Products page with rich imagery, integrated technical resources, and product videos.
- A section outlining the background, typical applications, and advantages of the PENETRON system.
- A section to house News & Media content including Newsletters, Press Releases, and integrated mailing list subscription.
- Google site search to provide the most relevant search results throughout all of the content on the site.
Content Insertion & Beta Testing
Most would look at the task of entering a large volume of content as a chore - but we relish the opportunity to test and refine the implementation and customization of our content management system. Beyond CMS-based testing, we also undertook thorough cross-browser and usability testing to ensure that all aspects of the website display and perform optimally in a wide array of browsers. The result is a well-oiled machine of a website and CMS - with years of worry free operation in its future.
Website Launch
The website was ready to launch. Before flipping the switch, we wanted to ensure that any existing websites and search engines using links from the old site would be directed to the most relevant portion of the new site. We compiled a list of PENETRON's current web pages and files - and created the appropriate redirects. This step helped ensure that the launch was building off of the success of the existing presence - rather than starting from scratch. Then, once everything had been thoroughly tested, we flipped the switch and PENETRON's new website was born.
Conclusion
Thanks to a productive partnership with the PENETRON team, the new site is a hit! PENETRON has received a wealth of positive feedback and they are happily updating and fine-tuning content throughout their site. Crisis averted.
When choosing a partner for your web design and development project, be sure that you select a provider with the experience and dedication to see your project through to fruition. At Design Brooklyn, we're with you every step of the process and beyond. We are a team of passionate professionals with years of experience helping emerging brands become industry leaders - and helping industry leaders advance their field.
