Project Overview
The City of Ballarat commissioned Avenue to produce a website for its local community that was as engaging as the one aimed at visitors, promoting the latest events, the best food and drink venues, and amazing experiences that the city has to offer.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Flavio Argemi - Creative Director & UX+UI Designer
Brenton Cannizzaro - Digital Business + Strategy Director
Jon Low - Technical Director
Justin Low - Web Developer
Tiago Brito - Web Developer
Rachel Wright - Account + Project Manager
Project Brief
The City of Ballarat entrusted Avenue with a significant task: to create a website that would captivate, engage and serve its local community. The region has had an award winning tourism website for many years, however this site is focused on visitors, and the need also existed to provide information to the local community about all the events, attractions, and businesses that exist in the region.
The aim subsequently was to develop a digital platform that showcased the vibrant and diverse offerings of the city, promoting the latest events, the best food and drink venues, and the extraordinary experiences Ballarat has to offer.
The website needed to be a new, and unique digital experience, and utilise dynamic content feeds through Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) to efficiently populate the website with up-to-date content and provide a highly efficient website content administration process.
Achieving high-level WCAG 2.0 Accessibility levels was also of major importance.
Project Need
Recognising the importance of creating a website that truly resonated with residents, Avenue embarked on a journey to design a platform that would be as enticing as it was informative. By seamlessly blending engaging visuals, compelling content, and user-friendly features, the resulting website became a dynamic hub that celebrates the essence of all that is happening in Ballarat.
With Avenue's expertise in user experience design, the website was carefully crafted to ensure that every interaction provided value and delight. Through intuitive navigation and seamless browsing, residents and visitors alike could effortlessly explore the rich tapestry of events, discover hidden gems within the city's culinary landscape, and find inspiration for unique experiences that would create lasting memories.
The website serves as a vibrant showcase of all the great attractions, events, businesses and stories occurring within Ballarat, encapsulating its thriving culture, captivating history, and unwavering community spirit. Avenue's meticulous attention to detail ensures that the website not only informs but also inspires locals to engage actively with the city and participate in its flourishing community scene.
By seamlessly integrating the latest events, the finest dining establishments, and the most extraordinary experiences, the website fosters a sense of connection and belonging within the community. It's become a go-to resource for residents seeking to immerse themselves in the vibrant fabric of their city and all it has to offer.
User Experience
The user experience journey began by delving into invaluable insights gleaned from Hotjar and Google Analytics. These tools allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of user behaviour, interactions, and preferences on the existing Ballarat tourism website around events and attractions. We dived into the data, exploring user device analytics, bounce and exit rates, time spent on pages, behaviour flow, demographic and interest information, as well as the websites visited prior to engaging with the tourism website.
Armed with these insights, we set out to craft a new user interface design that would not only align with the Ballarat brand but also possess a distinct uniqueness. Our aim was to establish an emotional connection with users, evoking a sense of wonder and excitement about this vibrant city.
To ensure that the website remains up-to-date with the latest events and attractions, we integrated it deeply with the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW). This integration enables dynamic and efficient content population, providing visitors with real-time information that keeps them engaged and informed.
We also recognised the importance of a streamlined content administration process. By developing a highly efficient workflow, website administrators can effortlessly manage and update the website's content, ensuring that it remains fresh and captivating.
The website uses an innovative "headless" website development approach employed ensures fast loading times and optimised performance. The integration with WordPress as the content management system enables easy content creation and management for City of Ballarat staff.
Project Marketing
Our user interface design approach focused on key templates that allow users to view a diverse range of events at a glance. By organising events into categories and curated lists, visitors can easily explore the options that pique their interest. Furthermore, we wanted to showcase feature events and attractions prominently on the website's homepage, creating a captivating visual experience that entices users to delve further.
To enhance usability, our website features an intuitive filtering system powered by Algolia technology. Visitors can effortlessly filter events and attractions based on categories, date ranges, and search inputs. This ensures that users can quickly find exactly what they are looking for, providing a seamless and personalised experience.
In summary, our user experience process for designing the Ballarat tourism website has been driven by a deep understanding of user behaviours and preferences. Through a harmonious blend of captivating design, up-to-date content, and efficient administration processes, we have created an inspiring and engaging online destination that beckons visitors to explore the wonders of Ballarat.
Project Privacy
The City of Ballarat is committed to the protection of your rights to privacy. We collect, use and disclose personal information in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 and other applicable legislation.
A detailed outline of the privacy policy can be found at: https://ballaratintheknow.com.au/privacy-policy
Digital - News & information
We all rely on digital services that broadcast or diffuse news and current affairs both locally and globally, keep us up to date with important information such as weather, warnings and hazards and allow us to quickly access information and reference resources.
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