Website Redesign for UNC Faculty-Staff Recreation Association

The Recreation Association needed a new website and hosting solutions to replace an outdated setup. Every website project 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. 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. Accessibility is a critical part of our website design and development service for the nonprofits. 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 Recreation Association’s website was complete, approved by the client, and ready to go live on launch day.

One of the main challenges of the project was to connect the racquet sport management tool, CourtReserve, with website events. Our team created custom website templates for events that linked directly to the third party tool. We collaborated with the Recreation Association to ensure we were providing a complete platform integration solution for the nonprofit. When projects require more specialized integrations, such as CourtReserve, we build custom solutions that allow our clients to easily use their preferred services right on the website.

We made it simple for the team to manage events available to both the general public and those limited to members of the association. 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 the external platforms functioned as part of a unified website ecosystem.

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 Turner’s 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 Turner’s team 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 website hosting services are designed to provide peace of mind, so teams can focus on their mission while we handle performance, security, and reliability.

As we started the project, the Recreation Association had just finished a major logo refresh. Our team coordinated with their team to ensure we aligned the website direction with the new brand identity.  Our team created a unified design system, pairing the logo with appropriate colors, typography, iconography, and layouts so they flowed seamlessly throughout the new website. As part of the project, we provided comprehensive graphic design services for the nonprofit, auditing existing brand assets, colors, and typography to ensure they met accessibility standards and maintained high visual quality across devices. In addition to the website design, we supported image optimization, image editing, and graphic design needs.

By developing the website’s design system in close coordination with the overall brand identity, we ensured users experienced a unified and recognizable brand,  whether they engaged with the organization online, on social media, in print, or through other communications.

To keep ongoing support simple and effective, we gave Recreation Association 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 made website support and maintenance simple 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 support package 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.