Building a Cohesive User Experience
With content fragmented across 14 different microsites (one for each branch), visitors had a hard time finding classes and programs they were interested in. To solve this, we needed a radical departure from their existing structure. We consolidated their content into cohesive list pages on a single site, so visitors can see Classes (and other content, like Programs or Job Opportunities) across all branches and easily filter by category. Consolidating content made information easier to find and supported their new membership model for 2016, where members can use any branch facility with a single membership.
Bring the YMCA Story to Life
The YMCA is the oldest nonprofit in the country, with a legacy of changing lives, connecting communities and improving lives for countless people. We illustrated this story throughout the site with rich photography which encapsulated the YMCA experience.
Photos became a central element of our design system. Their prominence helps visitors understand what it’s like to be at the Y. We also decreased the amount of text across the site and upgraded the site’s typography to improve readability.
Consistency with Flexibility
While most of the branches share similar content, we had to account for a few outliers. We provided a default set of navigation for each branch site, with the ability to add additional pages as needed.
To showcase the unique offerings of each branch, we designed the facility pages to feature large scale photos of the physical spaces. This helps visitors see what they can expect when joining the Y, and in turn helps drive membership sales.
"Chapter Three delivered an incredible product and worked with us as partners, every step of the way."
