Presentation on the North Tyneside Council website: where it was, what the public asked for, and key developments and improvements to the site. Presented by Lee Weatherburn, Web, Print and Design Manager, at at Really Useful Day: Improving user journeys in Durham on 12 December 2014.

1. Web development – www.northtyneside.gov.uk
Lee Weatherburn
Web, Print & Design Manager

2. Where was the Council’s website?
 Old and unsupported technology – limitations reached
Appearance – cluttered and difficult to navigate
Content – not well managed, out of date, inaccurate
Search engine – developed in house, unreliable results
Analytics – limited/unable to shape development
Usage – increasing number of visitors to the site
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6. What we were asked for when consulting...
A powerful search facility
 Clear navigation
 Uncluttered screens
Most popular tasks accessible from home page
 Clear content with no technical jargon
Mobile friendly
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7. Guiding principles
Design will be around the user, not the organisation
Content will be concise (less is more!) and consistent
 If someone else does it – link to it
 Imagery will not be used as decoration, it must have a purpose
External links should be well considered and explained
Design will not be for a computer screen, the content must be
responsive (easy to view on a mobile device)
Popular content will be more prominent – fed by visitor stats, call
centre traffic and feedback
Feedback will be encouraged and acted upon
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8. Key developments
 Site developed in Drupal (open source platform)
 Fully responsive (mobile friendly)
New and improved taxonomy
Search engine procured and implemented
Auto back-up and fail over
 Improved analytics in place
Geographic content
Social media integration
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23. Any questions?
Thank you for your interest