http://www.naperville203.org

Situation: Naperville 203 sought out a complete redesign of their Web site. The site that they had originally maintained was outdated and lacking potential. The Web site was also inconsistent and did not properly reflect the commitment, knowledge, and warmth of Naperville 203’s community district.

Objective: In an effort to turn a new corner, the objective was to create an exceptional Web site where visitors could quickly locate information about District 203, including a prominently displayed calendar of events, news, guidelines, and more. The site was targeted to Naperville and Aurora area community members, including parents, residents, students, teachers, vendors and District 203 staff.

Solution: In order to create the best online presence possible for Naperville District 203, the following improvements to graphics and functionality were carried out:

Significantly More Graphical Design: The previous Web site design was not customized to accurately reflect Naperville 203’s spirit. The new layout not only successfully represents the district’s mission, but also is a family-friendly design that engages visitors and draws them deeper into the site. Continuity is ensured within all areas by establishing and adhering to Web development standards for graphics, font, color, and other elements.

Intuitive navigation system: This system allows all visitors to find information as quickly as possible. The navigation includes a catalog-driven, hierarchical format (drop-down menus) as well as a keyword search functions. To maximize usability, Americaneagle.com implemented a horizontal navigation bar at the top of the page and one down the left-hand side. This type of navigation architecture is a good way to keep sites that contain a lot of information, like District 203’s, well organized and easy to locate (not buried).

Secure Content Management System (CMS): The added CMS enables District Staff to immediately access, create, delete, and modify Web site content at any time. This tool is also access-controlled and includes style sheets to ensure that content is consistent from page to page, including font size, spacing, and image placement. The CMS is also designed to permit designated administrators with the ability to add new sub-sections within each main section.