Website design and development for the Elizabeth Heyrick Society
Rachael Ward
The Elizabeth Heyrick Society, a newly established organisation dedicated to celebrating the influential abolitionist Elizabeth Heyrick, sought a comprehensive website to establish its digital presence. The website needed to communicate Heyrick’s historical significance effectively whilst also appealing to a modern audience.
EHS website shown on laptop and tablet
Central to this brief was also the requirement for the site to facilitate easy navigation, be fully accessible and include clear calls to action that would drive engagement and donations from a wide audience, from individual donors to corporate partners. The site is to serve as a central hub for the Society’s mission, informing the public and fostering community support.
The project began with an in-depth phase of user research to understand the charity's target audience. This research was instrumental in developing detailed user personas and mapping user journeys, which guided our design decisions and ensured the website met the needs and expectations of its audience. With these insights in mind, we created a comprehensive sitemap that logically structured the content, making navigation intuitive and user-friendly.
Next, we moved into wireframing, where we outlined the website’s basic structure. This stage allowed us to experiment with different layout options and refine the user experience before progressing to more detailed design work. Concurrently, I led the copywriting efforts along with the trustees, crafting content that compellingly told Elizabeth Heyrick’s story while emphasising the Society’s mission. The copy was carefully designed to include clear calls to action, to drive audience donations and engagement.
Various high-fidelity wireframes for the EHS website
With the content and structure in place, we advanced to the high-fidelity design phase where we focused on applying the charity's visual identity to create a dynamic narrative that bridged historical content with modern design. The use of vibrant imagery and carefully selected site styles helped to bring Heyrick’s legacy to life. As the Head of Creative for the Society, I coordinated a team of designers who supported the development and artworking of various visual assets for both the website and the wider brand. This collaboration ensured a cohesive and impactful visual presence across all platforms.
Events page and a snippet of the get involved page
As a Webflow developer in Manchester, I translated the high-fidelity designs into a fully functional, responsive website, ensuring compliance with accessibility standards. In addition, careful attention was given to SEO best practices, such as optimising metadata, alt tags and ensuring fast load times to improve the sites search engine rankings and overall user experience. Finally, I set up hosting on Webflow’s secure platform, ensuring the site would benefit from fast load times and reliable performance.
The Elizabeth Heyrick Society website demonstrates how thoughtful design and Webflow development can create a powerful digital presence. By combining storytelling with vibrant imagery and modern web design, we successfully crafted a platform that resonates with audiences and supports the Society's mission. This project highlights my expertise as a Webflow designer in Manchester and demonstrates my proficiency in charity design and non-profit web development.
"The visual consistency and professional quality of our website, marketing materials, and social media presence gave us an immediate sense of legitimacy. This has been a key factor in our ability to engage with corporate partners, local government, and other organisations. Without her work, we would not have had the same level of confidence or the ability to make such a strong first impression. Rachael is not just an outstanding professional but also a deeply valued colleague and collaborator. Working with her has been an incredibly rewarding experience."
Joshua Thorpe
Chair of the Elizabeth Heyrick Society
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Posted Aug 20, 2024
Design and development of an engaging, responsive website for a non-profit to support the Society’s fundraising efforts and promote their mission.
