The YMCA is one of Canada’s longest standing and largest charities, with a presence in Canada since 1851 and now serving more than 2.1 million people annually across 1,700 program locations.

The Challenge:

Each YMCA location has several online touch points, including corporate websites, intranets, and microsites — all of which are built separately, hosted by different providers, and all funded and operated independently. While the demand for access to online information and services is ever-increasing, most individual YMCAs struggle to maintain their existing portfolio of websites.

Solution:

I began with a full UX and design audit, employing usability testing to inform my recommendations. Knowing the end product would serve dozens of associations with disparate needs, I designed a modular CMS template that was easy to modify and would remain consistent with the brand regardless of which features and pages were implemented.

Key user experience features:

Usability testing to determine the best user experience
Responsive site that swaps out certain functional widgets to optimize usability for individual platforms
Flexible navigation that provides multiple points of access to information
Ability to set a preferred location, allowing the user to access localized schedule and program information

Key design features:

Modernize layout using responsive design
Standardized branding that gives a consistent look and feel to all associations, while still allowing for associations to maintain their community voice
Modular design that allows associations to pick and choose the features and functionality they need

Results

Fast and efficient creation of websites for association members
Ongoing monetary savings, through the sharing of operational costs
Rollout of the YMCA’s new national brand standards through the common web platform
Implementation of new best practices and procedures for website management, publishing, and analytics

YMCA Canada