Pajamas, RAFT, & Brainstorming

Being part of a company with employees all over the world, we work primarily out of our homes… garages… and coffee shops in the cities we call home.  I’m sure I speak to the majority of the group in saying that I enjoy my pajamas and the dog as my ‘co-worker’ (most days, that is!).

Last month, in a nice change of pace, I received an invitation to work on-site with one of our newest clients – Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT) in San Jose, California.  Excitedly, I ran to my closet to find a presentable pair of slacks and prepared for 2 days of brainstorming, planning, and construction of what will soon be their new and improved website!

Our Goal

RAFT came to us with the need to deconstruct multiple websites, combine, minimize, organize and redirect the pieces into one shiny new website that is easy to use, update and maintain. With several complex and overwhelming pieces to dig through, the staff at RAFT needed some guidance on finding the most efficient way to do just that.

Here at 729Solutions, we specialize in User Experience and presenting information so that it’s relatable and user friendly for your customers.  In addition, we can help you take full control of your website so that making updates to basic information, managing events, and keeping images fresh and current doesn’t have to be labor-intensive.

The Process

We started by examining each page of RAFT’s multiple sites so we could see what we were dealing with and determining what exactly was there.  While it can be a painful, page-by-page process, the rewards are fruitful. With this committed review, we were able to see the ‘big picture’ and scope where we were at, what we had to work with, and what additional resources we would need to get the job done.

While keeping RAFT’s User Persona’s in mind – which includes primarily educators in the Bay Area, we rebuilt their Sitemap in the form of multi-colored sticky notes.  Not only is this fun, and visual, but it helps us to clearly determine where we’ll have unique details and functionality throughout the website. Brainstorming scenarios based on user personas and likely tasks to be achieved, we were able to define solutions and come up with clean, consistent navigation and user flow for the new site.

Whether you’re building an App, Software, an eCommerce Store, or even just a simple WordPress website – wrapping your brain around all of the bits and pieces that need even the slightest attention can be daunting and overwhelming.  Before you throw your hands in the air and call it quits, let’s talk! Like we did for RAFT, our Creative Experts are available to you for a consultation to determine the full scope of your project and point out the details that you haven’t thought of.  Let us help you dot the I’s and cross the T’s for your project from start to finish and plan a successful build for any project.

About RAFT

RAFT is a non-profit organization whose main focus is to inspire, engage, and educate children through the power of hands-on teaching.  “Learning by doing” is a simple yet powerful concept that has been RAFT’s objective since its inception. Hands-on education translates abstract and complex subjects by incorporating activities that help children learn by doing. This ignites their interest, nurtures their natural curiosity, and also helps maintain a lifelong love of learning.

Learn more about RAFT by visiting their website at www.raftbayarea.org, and check back this summer to see the new & improved version!