WorkUP Queensland Website Refresh

Overview

WorkUP Queensland is a brand of The Healing Foundation, supporting the sexual violence, women's health and domestic and family violence sector with workforce development, training, and capacity building across Queensland.

The WorkUP Queensland website was facing a number of challenges that were impacting the organisation's ability to effectively communicate with their workforce audience. The existing site had an outdated design that no longer reflected brand standards, stale content, poor navigation and search functionality, missing key pages such as Latest News, no ability to search or filter within features like News and Resources, a poor mobile experience, and no integration between website forms and their Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

I delivered a comprehensive website refresh across six phases, from a content strategy workshop through to a post-launch review, covering strategy, design, development, quality assurance, CMS training, and ongoing support. The project was built on WordPress, leveraging Full Site Editor (FSE) functionality to give staff the flexibility to manage layouts and content through an intuitive drag-and-drop builder. A strong emphasis was placed on improving content structure, implementing a modern accessible design, and creating a robust framework built to last.

Challenges

1. Outdated Design & Content: The existing website did not meet current brand standards, and much of the content had become outdated, creating a disconnect between the organisation's mission and its digital presence.
2. Navigation & Content Discoverability: Key information was difficult to locate, with poor navigation and limited search functionality. Critical pages such as Latest News were missing, and content types like News and Resources lacked search and filtering capabilities.
3. Poor Mobile Experience: The website delivered a substandard experience on mobile devices, despite growing mobile traffic from the workforce audience.
4. Missing Integrations: There was no form integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and no connection to Humanitix for importing events, creating gaps between the website and the organisation's internal systems and tools.

Solution

1. Content Strategy Workshop: Facilitated a one-day content strategy workshop to restructure the page sitemap, menu structure, and content around the organisation's existing user personas, followed by up to three rounds of content review and advisory.
2. Accessible Design: Designed hi-fi desktop mockups for each unique page template, reviewed against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA compliance, with three rounds of design revisions and formal client approval prior to development.
3. Custom WordPress Theme Development: Developed a custom WordPress theme with all default blocks and patterns styled to match the new design, ensuring staff can build and manage pages confidently using the Full Site Editor.
4. Search, Filtering & Custom Functionality: Built search and filtering capabilities across key content types, integrated Humanitix for event imports, and embedded Microsoft Dynamics CRM forms to connect the website with internal systems.
5. SEO & Performance Optimisation: Implemented 301 redirects from all previous URLs, conducted a technical SEO audit, optimised speed performance through caching and image compression, and configured Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and Google Search Console.
6. Quality Assurance & Accessibility Testing: Conducted thorough cross-browser and cross-device testing, WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance testing, functionality testing, broken link checks, security configuration, and Google Lighthouse audits for accessibility, performance, and best practice.
7. Launch, Training & Post-Launch Support: Launched the website with zero downtime, recorded a CMS training video for staff, and delivered a post-launch review including a Google Search Console audit and 30 days of complementary bug fixes.

Results

1. Improved Content Discoverability: A restructured sitemap, overhauled navigation, and new search and filtering functionality provide users with a clear, intuitive pathway to find information quickly.
2. Modernised Digital Presence: The refreshed design aligns the website with current brand standards, delivering a professional and contemporary experience that reflects the organisation's important work in the sector.
3. Accessible & Mobile-Friendly: The website meets WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance and delivers a fully responsive experience across all devices, ensuring accessibility for the entire workforce audience.
4. Connected Systems: Humanitix event integration and Microsoft Dynamics CRM form integration connect the website to the organisation's existing tools, reducing manual processes and streamlining workflows.
5. Empowered Content Management: With WordPress FSE, styled default blocks, and a recorded CMS training video, the WorkUP Queensland team can confidently manage and update the website independently for the long term.

Services provided

Website URL

https://workup.org.au