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Case Study Three: Summer Soccer League
We scored big when the North Shore Soccer Association* (see footnote), an organization coordinating soccer teams in the northern suburbs of Chicago, approached us to redesign their website. "We are an open book," the organizers expressed. "You can do everything and anything within [this budget]. Last season, we only got a handful of hits to the site, and it was basically just us [the organizers themselves] visiting the site. We'd like to up that number and definitely offer something to keep people coming."
We gutted out the website entirely, rebuilding an interface and information architecture from scratch. Eight weeks later, we deployed a site that not only captured in its design the excitement of league soccer, but also embodied community-oriented applications which would encourage users to return to the site on a regular basis. As with nearly every project Sevey, LLC develops, we also created a full-scale administrative area, allowing the soccer league to make necessary updates and changes as they pleased without the aid of a web designer.
The following are five particular areas of the new site we would like to highlight for you, acessible to all visitors to the site. All five are customized solutions developed specifically for the summer soccer league's needs, using XML/XHTML/CSS-positioning elements.
LOGO DESIGN
"We need a new logo for the new year. Something hip. But with this [stick] figure," they directed. "We also need to update the NSSA logo." We were pleased to update the NSSA logo and incorporated the new logo with the Summer Soccer League 2003 logo. We provided the organizers with an .eps and .tif file of the two logos for them to use in their print letterhead and marketing materials. All logos designed by Sevey, LLC are designed primarily in black and white (unless specified), to further ensure compatibility with any situational use, as a logo can then incorporate any color scheme presented and avoid much design conflict.
The font used in the logo was then used in the section headlines throughout the website, encouraging the user to focus on strategic locations on the page, as well as delineate between different areas within the same page.
REGISTRATION SYSTEM
A registration system was implemented for the soccer league so that a user would be enabled to make contributions to this online community, from uploading game photos into the photo gallery or post comments in the discussion area (not shown in screenshot). Once a user was logged in, he or she would be able to make these contributions easily and receive proper credit with just the click of a button. Sevey, LLC is known for its outstanding registration systems, which not only collect demographic information of your website visitors but also create an atmosphere of community within the website.
The administrators of the website would also be able to log-in and participate in the website like the other guests, as well as have access to special functions, including monitoring the guests, moderating discussion forums, and editing the game schedule.
PHOTO GALLERY
Family, friends, participants, and spectators alike are enabled to upload photographs from league games and team practices into a special photo gallery area of the website. Once a user uploads a graphic, an email is sent to the organizers informing them of a photograph awaiting approval. Using a link on the email itself or viewing their announcements area once logged in, administrators view a "photographs queued" listing where they approve the lot. Once approved, the photograph is lauched for live viewing; if rejected, an email is sent to the photo provider with notification of its rejection and reason(s) as to why. The approval process is to ensure the photo gallery is not exploited for purposes outside the "terms of use," namely those towards commercial or illegal purposes.
Every week one photograph is selected at random by the server and displayed on the homepage to be featured as "Photo of the Week." Thanks to the fluid properties of CSS, the photograph need not be resized or cropped specifically for this page. Images already featured on the homepage are flagged so that they are not chosen again.
GAME SCHEDULE
Our personal favorite area of the site is the Game Schedule area. Once logged in, administrators would be able to edit or add game dates, including time and location, which would then be automatically added to the game schedule listing. The schedule is dynamically generated from the server, which automatically generates a "save to Palm" link (wherein PDA users can synch game information with their schedules) and archives previous/already-played games based on date.
The Game Schedule area also accomodates for a .xls, .txt, or .rtf upload where more advanced administrators can upload a formatted document featuring game information that would then be incorporated into the online schedule seamlessly. This is practical for the scheduling coordinators, who often use Excel sheets to keep track of the game schedule and appreciate the efficiency of simply uploading the documents themselves (XML functionality).
UPDATES
Once administrators of the site are logged in, they are given access to an online application where they can write in updates or announcements which are then listed on the homepage. This application features a spell-check, a "preview your post" function, and a stamp that automatically tags each entry with the time and date the new update was entered.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!
"This website is better than we could ever have imagined," one organizer wrote in upon deployment. "This site is incredible." In the summer to follow, our client representative forwarded us positive feedback from the summer league's members and participants. "This league is starting to finally feel like a community." "Our league participants are beginning to truly make the site their own by adding photos and providing feedback in the forums." "[By the end of the summer,] we have seen a nearly 900% increase in the number of unique visitors to our site [from first launching the site]. Over 80% of these visitors return to the site on a regular basis, making their own contributions." and, our personal favorite "It's almost as if more action takes place online than on the field!"
CASE STUDY FOOTNOTE (*)
* By request of our clients, the names of the companies used in our case studies have been changed. However, all other elements, including interface and functionlities, remain the same and are portrayed accurately. For a list of references or access to working demonstrations, please contact us.
WHAT ARE YOUR INTERNET GOALS?
What brings you here? What are your internet goals? Please feel free to review the case study and do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to inquire further. We would appreciate the opportunity to assist you in establishing the strong online presence you deserve. We embody your dreams, share in your efforts, and work earnestly towards your success.
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