Website Redesign for North Carolina's Protection and Advocacy Organization

Disability Rights NC needed a new website to address performance, usability, and accessibility issues they were facing with their existing website. Every website our team builds goes through an extensive website design process. This project was no different. During kickoff, we set up project management tools, organized shared folders, aligned communication channels, and confirmed responsibilities with the client’s team. In discovery, we conducted a structured review of all existing content, design assets, audience needs, and compared direct and indirect competitors to identify patterns that would guide the new site’s design and structure. Our research informed the information architecture, content hierarchy, and early navigation drafts. We grounded the design direction in real user behavior rather than assumptions.

As we entered the design and development process, we delivered design deliverables in stages. Our website design and development service is perfect for nonprofits. Each deliverable built on the previous and provided the opportunity for the client to provide feedback and ask questions. As we received that feedback we integrated it into our solution and provided the client with the revisions to review again. Once we had sign-off on the design, development began. The goal of development is to deliver a fully functional website that matches the approved design. Our team focuses on four core principles: usability, accessibility, scalability, and maintainability. During an extensive QA phase at the end of development, our team completes device testing, browser compatibility checks, and accessibility audits. Our approach to the website project life cycle ensured that Disability Rights NC’s website was complete, approved by the client, and ready to go live on launch day.

One of the main challenges for Disability Rights NC was to connect their online intake to salesforce. Our team handled all platform integrations the nonprofit needed to support their workflows and communication channels. We connected their newsletter system, configured authentication for their CRM, and ensured data passed cleanly between the website and their external tools without creating maintenance overhead. We implemented GA4, Google Tag Manager, and Search Console, tailored to the site’s structure, allowing the client to monitor user behavior across all integrated services with accuracy.

Where the project required more specialized integrations—such as Hotjar, Givebutter, and an AI virtual assistant—we built custom workflows that aligned with the client’s operational processes. This included mapping data fields, validating content structures, and ensuring each integration met accessibility, security, and performance requirements. The result was a connected system where every external platform functioned as part of a unified website ecosystem.

For this project, we implemented a research‑driven AI virtual assistant for the nonprofit, designed to help users navigate complex information without relying on generic chatbot behavior. We began by conducting user research to understand the real questions. We did this in the form of user surveys across the website and by analyzing heatmaps, screen recordings, and google analytic usage data. From this, we created detailed bot stories, structured userflows that defined how the assistant should respond, guide, and escalate based on user intent. Our approach ensured that the AI supported our client’s goals and reflected Disability Rights NC’s communication style.

We trained the assistant on the website’s content so it could reference accurate, up‑to‑date information. We tested the AI assistant with staff attorneys and advocates to assess the risk of potential hallucinations or inaccurate statements. Based on their feedback we provided the AI with additional training, guardrails, and fallback responses. Analytics tracking was configured to measure performance and engagement. The final implementation was a virtual assistant that helped users find relevant information quickly, whether they were exploring research, reviewing resources, or navigating self-advocacy content.

We typically provide hosting services across two primary environments: the development environment and the live website.

During development, we set up a dedicated staging environment that mirrors the production hosting setup, allowing the Disability Rights NC team to review features, test content, and check functionality before launch. This environment includes isolated databases, controlled code deployments, and performance monitoring so potential issues can be identified early. Throughout the build, we managed the configuration, caching strategy, and asset optimization to ensure the site would perform reliably once moved to production.

For the live website, our team handled the full deployment process, including DNS updates, domain connections, SSL activation, and final server-level optimizations. We coordinated closely with the client’s IT and leadership teams to ensure a smooth transition with minimal downtime. After launch, we verified that all integrations, analytics tools, and platform connections were functioning correctly in the live environment. Our nonprofit hosting services are designed to provide peace of mind, so teams can focus on their mission while we handle performance, security, and reliability.

We aligned the website’s visual identity with the Disability Rights NC’s existing offline and social media branding to ensure a consistent experience across all touchpoints.  We refined the logo, color systems, typography, iconography, and layout patterns so they translated perfectly from print materials to digital interfaces. We also audited existing brand assets and templates, to ensure they met accessibility standards and rendered correctly across devices. In addition to standard print collateral, our team provided print and design services for the nonprofit, including banners, rack cards, flyers, environmental designs, and special campaign materials.

As part of the brand refresh, we helped unify the updated identity across digital and physical materials. This included refining print collateral, and creating brand‑aligned templates for internal use. By building the website’s design system in coordination with the larger brand identity, we ensured users experienced a unified identity whether they encountered the organization on the website, social media, in print, or through other communications.

To keep ongoing support simple and effective, we gave Disability Rights NC direct access to our team through email for documentation, chat for quick questions, and Zoom for more in-depth discussions. Shared project spaces and scheduled check-ins made it easy for their team to request updates, track progress, and get timely answers. We make website support and maintenance straightforward for nonprofits.

Our support continued well beyond launch. We provided clear documentation and hands-on training so the team could confidently post and manage content. The same experts who designed and built the website remain responsible for ongoing updates, ensuring consistency and quality. Every project includes a comprehensive service-level agreement covering security updates, plugin and theme maintenance, uptime monitoring, and performance checks. We ensure the website remains stable as new content is added, pages are modified, and code dependencies receive updates.