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Home > News and Events > News > News Detail
12/18/2013
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In an effort to meet current website standards and provide a cleaner, more user-friendly site, ACI has launched its completely new website. This redesigned site comes after years of feedback from ACI members and customers, working with experts in website information architecture, and consulting with top web designers. Before starting this project, ACI wanted to make sure the navigation, core structure, and overall look met current web standards. With the support of The Understanding Group (TUG), an Ann Arbor, MI-based firm, ACI has worked to ensure that the thousands of pages of information that make up the ACI website are presented in a logical and intuitive layout that allows users to quickly find the information they need. Once TUG provided a site map reflecting the site’s new organization and representative design mockups showing functionality and information for each of 30 core ACI web pages, the second phase of work began with Q Ltd., a web designer also based in Ann Arbor. Q Ltd.’s main objective was to help ACI develop website branding guidelines and create a visual design building on the work by TUG. Q Ltd. helped ACI achieve the goal of providing members and customers with an easy-to-navigate web interface that communicates Institute priorities, serves as a conduit to ACI resources, and positions the Institute as a cutting-edge organization. With the coordinated partnering of industry experts, like TUG and Q Ltd., and the talented designers and programmers on ACI staff, the new concrete.org provides a modern presentation of the Institute. While exploring the site, take notice of the following new features. Improved site-wide navigation, search results, and page-level visual clarity The main navigation has been simplified and is more intuitive. Users can log-in to personal accounts from anywhere on the website—not just the home page. Additionally, the search results are vastly improved. A search on a particular topic, such as the reorganized 318-14, for example, will return results not only for the document but also for ACI Committee 318 itself and news articles, web sessions, and events relating to 318-14. Increased awareness of the benefits of membership and promotion of inter-topic product discovery across all of ACI’s offerings Previously, information on the benefits of ACI membership could only be found on select ACI pages and information relating to technical documents and journals was located on the publication page. Now, information regarding membership, publications, events, and certification can be found strategically placed on pages throughout the website. Preserved benefits of well-worn paths for committee members The new site maintains the same committee tools and functionality, but in a new layout—showing only those tools and options available to a user based on the user’s status in the committee. New streamlined navigation means committee work pages now have the necessary tools right where they are needed. Direct engagement with diverse audiences ACI members and customers are diverse in occupation, geographic location, language, and many other ways. To ensure that a language barrier doesn’t prevent members and customers from accessing content on the new website, a translator has been built into the header of each page. Improved home page content Website visitors can stay updated with the latest information and news from ACI and the concrete industry through ACI’s new home page stories. Additionally, to reach members with various backgrounds, profession-based portals have been created for engineers, contractors, educators and researchers, and students. These portals are designed to provide content based on the needs of the user and can be accessed from the home page and the footer of each individual page. Increased mobile access While many people access concrete.org on a desktop computer, a growing number of users are accessing the site through mobile and tablet devices. To better serve those using mobile devices, the new site was designed to format to the device being used. Users accessing concrete.org through a smartphone will have the same access and functionality as those viewing the site on a desktop computer.
In an effort to meet current website standards and provide a cleaner, more user-friendly site, ACI has launched its completely new website.
This redesigned site comes after years of feedback from ACI members and customers, working with experts in website information architecture, and consulting with top web designers.
Before starting this project, ACI wanted to make sure the navigation, core structure, and overall look met current web standards. With the support of The Understanding Group (TUG), an Ann Arbor, MI-based firm, ACI has worked to ensure that the thousands of pages of information that make up the ACI website are presented in a logical and intuitive layout that allows users to quickly find the information they need. Once TUG provided a site map reflecting the site’s new organization and representative design mockups showing functionality and information for each of 30 core ACI web pages, the second phase of work began with Q Ltd., a web designer also based in Ann Arbor. Q Ltd.’s main objective was to help ACI develop website branding guidelines and create a visual design building on the work by TUG. Q Ltd. helped ACI achieve the goal of providing members and customers with an easy-to-navigate web interface that communicates Institute priorities, serves as a conduit to ACI resources, and positions the Institute as a cutting-edge organization.
With the coordinated partnering of industry experts, like TUG and Q Ltd., and the talented designers and programmers on ACI staff, the new concrete.org provides a modern presentation of the Institute. While exploring the site, take notice of the following new features.
The main navigation has been simplified and is more intuitive. Users can log-in to personal accounts from anywhere on the website—not just the home page. Additionally, the search results are vastly improved. A search on a particular topic, such as the reorganized 318-14, for example, will return results not only for the document but also for ACI Committee 318 itself and news articles, web sessions, and events relating to 318-14.
Previously, information on the benefits of ACI membership could only be found on select ACI pages and information relating to technical documents and journals was located on the publication page. Now, information regarding membership, publications, events, and certification can be found strategically placed on pages throughout the website.
The new site maintains the same committee tools and functionality, but in a new layout—showing only those tools and options available to a user based on the user’s status in the committee. New streamlined navigation means committee work pages now have the necessary tools right where they are needed.
ACI members and customers are diverse in occupation, geographic location, language, and many other ways. To ensure that a language barrier doesn’t prevent members and customers from accessing content on the new website, a translator has been built into the header of each page.
Website visitors can stay updated with the latest information and news from ACI and the concrete industry through ACI’s new home page stories. Additionally, to reach members with various backgrounds, profession-based portals have been created for engineers, contractors, educators and researchers, and students. These portals are designed to provide content based on the needs of the user and can be accessed from the home page and the footer of each individual page.
While many people access concrete.org on a desktop computer, a growing number of users are accessing the site through mobile and tablet devices. To better serve those using mobile devices, the new site was designed to format to the device being used. Users accessing concrete.org through a smartphone will have the same access and functionality as those viewing the site on a desktop computer.
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