The Port of Skagit includes a local airport, marina, RV resort, and multiple business parks. It’s an impressive operation, but their website wasn’t doing it justice. They needed a fresh start, designed from the ground up to highlight their strengths, provide critical services to their tenants, and deliver citizens relevant information with a premium user experience.
Their previous site was outdated enough that they didn’t want to use it as a reference, so we started from scratch, incorporating new content, custom photography, deep interactivity, and a fresh design approach, to develop a rigorous, enterprise-level destination. The new site perfectly balances governmental and business functions, compliance requirements, and tourism and promotional concerns.
Worked with all relevant stakeholders to conceptualize the website with a fresh sitemap and content plan. We provided consulting services throughout development, educating the client on design best practices and potential site capabilities, assisting with material sourcing, and aiding their internal content development efforts.
Designed an intuitive property listings system that allows the port to feature available properties, facilitating commercial growth in the region. We linked the website to the county’s GIS system to ensure that all relevant details are listed accurately and aligned with regulatory requirements.
Helped the client promote their business by implementing a dynamic tenant directory designed to highlight their active tenants. Visitors can sort entries for easy access and find them quickly using an included Google Maps integration.
It was essential to the client that they could add and remove tenants and available properties without any coding skills, so we included a user-friendly CMS that makes it simple to modify these listings.
The port has several new enterprises in the works. They wanted to ensure that these could be easily added to the website after launch without a redesign. We built a framework within the CMS that permits port staff members to build out these new sections quickly and easily.
Realized the client’s tourism goals. We built several pages dedicated to events and attractions located around the port’s properties as well as promotional pages highlighting the economic benefits it brings to the region. Visitors can find information about nature trails, seasonal family events, and a host of other events and features that area residents, tourists, and businesses enjoy.
Worked to comply with Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) regulations by incorporating a practical public records request form. The system provides citizens direct access to public officials, making it easy to request important public records.
Deployed a secure document sharing system. This comprehensive archive integrates with the port’s cloud file-sharing system to provide visitors real-time access to the most commonly requested public documents. They can be read directly within the website, shared with outside parties, or downloaded for later review.
Implemented a secure, enterprise-grade cloud email relay to ensure that crucial online forms are always routed to the proper recipients. Entities such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection and port employees depend on the system to safely receive public records requests and contact inquiries.
Integrated accessiBe, a third-party accessibility tool that ensures WCAG 2.1, W3C, and ADA compliance and offers multiple solutions for visually and cognitively-impaired visitors, those living with ADHD, and citizens prone to seizures.
Revised the project’s scope, which began before the pandemic, to include COVID-19-related information and navigational elements. Our adaptability served the client and us well as we worked to integrate this critical information.
For airplane enthusiasts (and just because we could) we integrated live camera feeds from the port’s Skagit Regional Airport. Any time of day, visitors can thrill to the hub’s frequent take-offs and landings. Pilots can also use the cameras to check on current taxiway conditions and parking.
Made certain that the entire site is printer-friendly. Visitors can print just the information they need, creating concise documents that omit unnecessary headers and footers.
Thoroughly trained port staff on utilizing their new site. We included a primer on modern web practices and explained how the website serves their needs as well as those of their tenants and the public. They learned design principles and content creation best practices that allow the pages they create to look great and perform well.
Collaborated with the client’s managed service provider to ensure a seamless transition between their old site and our new design. We helped make sure that their DNS, as well as critical business services like email, remained active during the transition.
We currently host their website using a highly redundant, multi-region, cloud-based architecture to ensure 100% uptime. This is critical due to their business’s distributed nature, with multiple parties accessing, sharing, and uploading essential information continuously. Downtime simply isn’t an option.
Provide ongoing support and webmaster services. This includes recurring site maintenance, assistance with adding new pages, and working with outside vendors. We’re committed to the site’s long-term health.
