We migrated OSGeo.org (Open Source Geospatial Foundation), a non-profit Open Source community platform, to a custom WordPress Content Management System (CMS) and gave it a fresh new look.
OSGeo also serves as an outreach and advocacy organization for the Open Source Geospatial community and provides a common forum for improving collaboration between projects worldwide.
OSGeo ran into problems with the scalability and functioning of the CMS. The website could also use a visual and technical refresh.
Open Source GIS companies/projects
OSGeo was planning for the next ten years, including associated vision, mission, and objectives. However, the majority of these goals were hindered by the current website. In 2009, the branding and look of the site had already been updated, but the underlying technology of the website had never been overhauled. Get Interactive was allowed to get to work on this.
OSGeo's wish was to improve branding and online presence, including a website that was suitable for the future. The website and associated CMS system must be accessible quickly and well internationally, with users in America, Europe, Australia, China, Africa, and Japan. Speed, stability, and ease of use are crucial for this. It was important for OSGeo that new users could quickly find their way on the new website.
OSGeo.org enlisted our help to renew their Foundation visually and technically. We overhauled the complete branding and developed the new platform with custom work.
Due to problems with the scalability and functioning of OSGeo.org's previous CMS, the choice was made to replace the old platform with a custom CMS and migrate all content to a new custom WordPress platform.
The old CMS was filled with many articles, photos, videos, and galleries, built up over the years by the more than 1,000 registered community members from different countries and the projects they collaborate on.
It was a big job to move this data to a new CMS. For this, we developed a custom website and tool that understood the diverse content structures of different websites and could make the translation between them.
With a new CMS on the back end, we then gave the front end a new design and built the homepage, where most users land, more logically. Community members can collaborate more easily via the new backend, share information, process data, and connect with each other.
To accommodate the increase in OSGeo users, we provided the website with custom functionalities. The website is organized in clusters and filters have been applied so users can see the site faster. Community members now have the space to contribute faster and smarter with their ideas and work to the various projects.
For OSGeo, we went for a clear website with a distinct appearance. For users, it's quickly clear where they are on the website, where information can be found, and what OSGeo stands for and is committed to.
We worked out the web design for mobile, tablet, and desktop, so the interaction of the community platform is tailored and available on every device and for every user.
We developed custom work so users can now find information more easily and participate more efficiently in various OSGeo projects.
During searching, the new CMS system also checks the various elements and features of OSGeo projects. This way, the system can point the user to a combination of projects that best matches the search query.
We designed a Wizard that allows the visitor to easily and visually find the right software product. Through a short selection, it's possible to provide information about the problem, after which the Wizard advises a selection that matches the need.
We extensively worked on OSGeo's branding. In designing the logo and new brand identity, we took into account the necessary print materials such as brochures, so OSGeo can communicate in different ways from their fresh new look.
We're very happy with how the pages for each project look. From using laptop frames to display screenshots, to the clear presentation of service providers who make an important contribution to a project; everything looks polished.
For our branding, a series of logos were proposed with our goals as a starting point and a further development of the current logo. The logos were arranged from traditional to revolutionary, where our preference ultimately fell in the middle. It was also very valuable that the various options looked at our competitors in the market.
Another part we're pleased about is the use of wireframes for designing the new website. These were created in combination with the customer journey, which indicates what kind of visitors we expect, what we want to communicate, and what content is required for that. These wireframes were made in InVision, which ensured that our volunteers could provide feedback and visually sort content and questions (something different from endless spreadsheets).
The result is clear, stands out, and is accessible - a great new look for OSGeo.
Would you like to know more about this case, or do you want to get started just like OSGeo? Contact us, Pim will be happy to tell you more.
