Supporting Economic Recovery for Washington Businesses

A Project with a Pivot

The project for a new website for our friends at the AWB was in full-swing when Covid-19 prompted a statewide shutdown and shelter-in-place order. The goal for the project didn’t change, however, the pandemic landscape prompted a dramatic pivot.

The AWB still wanted to connect business owners with resources, however, the new and pressing need was for Covid-specific content and the ability to connect Washington State manufacturers with business owners who need personal protective equipment (PPE) to safely reopen their business and protect their workers.

New Focus: Rebound, Recovery and Resources

Our solution? Pause work on the main website and quickly build a microsite, using design elements from the redesign, and include custom forms and instant search results. At reboundandrecovery.org, business owners can find a range of resources to guide them through the reopening process.

The crown jewel of the website is the PPE request form. Our team compiled a database of Washington PPE manufacturers. Business owners can customize a request for PPE by selecting which types of PPE they need and quantity and instantly view search results with manufacturers that match their requests. We also developed an automated custom form for manufacturers to be added to the database.

Rebound, Recovery — and Results

The PPE request form has more than 4,200 requests and has helped 687 WA businesses reopen. The Rebound and Recovery website also provides resources like posters, floor stickers, and even social media content as templates that local businesses can use to communicate with customers when they reopen.

Reimagining AWB’s Web Presence

Rebound and Recovery launched and we turned our focus back to AWB’s main website. The AWB provides a robust range of resources for its stakeholders — from videos and news, to webinars and events. While the content on the previous website was valuable, it was difficult to navigate, so we made findability a top priority. Additionally, to support findability, site search is powered by Sitka Insights. That means the AWB team can customize search results and users can filter results by type of content.

The new design weaves together content in a way that feels fresh and integrates with AWB’s brand guidelines. The website also reflects ADA design standards, and customization gives the AWB team the ability to prioritize news and draw attention to important events.

We have long partnered with the AWB and it was an honor to help this organization help Washington business owners and continue to provide essential services and resources for its members with an updated web presence.