“Did you say you build websites? Because we could really use the help.”
A familiar face beside me handed me a business card and shared a brief status of the Oasis Youth Center website. I recognized him from previous Pride events. It was Matthew Wilson, Executive Director at Oasis Youth Center. He had just spoken at the podium at the Pierce County Council meeting to champion civil rights and a safe, healthy community for queer youth before being presented the 2023 Pride proclamation at Pierce County-City Hall.
I knew exactly how to connect him with the help Oasis needed.
A Quick Fix for Big Impact
Six days later, Matthew and his teammate Daniel Ensley, Director of Development & Partnerships at Oasis Youth Center, came to our office to share the state of their current website with us. Their major fundraising event, Big Hat Brunch, was fast approaching and the Oasis website was, in a word, broken. Ticket sales and donations were at stake; time was of the essence.
Our development team assessed the Oasis website, weighed its status against the Big Hat Brunch timeline and identified a quick solution. Three days later, our team delivered a landing page with high-level information and, perhaps most importantly, a link to buy tickets to Big Hat Brunch.
The landing page was a temporary fix with a big impact. Oasis now had an online presence that could be a connection point for LGBTQ+ youth, families and community partners.
Moving Toward a New Website
A few months later, Matthew and Daniel returned to our office to discuss a full website redesign. Oasis is a place of celebration and support. The website needed to match the colorful and lively vibe of the space and improve access to the people who want to connect with its community. While our design team was bringing the Oasis brand to life in vibrant and accessible ways, our content strategy team conducted a content audit, created a new information architecture and identified content patterns that aligned with the organization’s mission and goals.
As the website project moved forward, Oasis Youth Center was in trouble and at risk of closing its doors after 39 years of serving queer youth in Pierce County. Our team knew that now, more than ever, Oasis needed community support and a website was an important part of keeping a valuable resource accessible. The Oasis Youth Center website launched on June 5, 2024 — just in time for Tacoma Pride Month and the Pierce County Council Pride Proclamation where the Pride flag was flown in Chambers for the very first time. The Oasis staff stood behind Matthew at the podium as he was invited to speak on behalf of his organization and the community it serves.
Bringing People Together
Within four weeks of the new website launch, more than 900 users visited the website — much of that traffic is attributed to organic search. A clear navigation menu and bold calls to action elevate opportunities for people to engage and support queer youth. I watched the Google Analytics jump on the day of Big Hat Brunch when people took out their phones to donate, directly on the new mobile-optimized website.
It was a full-circle moment that reminded me the power of the work we do isn’t the technology it’s the people. Technology builds bridges for impact and engagement. That’s where the connection happens.
Photo taken at the 2024 LGBTQ+ Community Awards. From left to right: SiteCrafting Web Developer Alex Merk, Council Member Olgy Diaz, Executive Director of Oasis Youth Center Matthew Wilson, SiteCrafting Marketing Coordinator Tiffany Guarnes, Oasis Youth Center Director of Development & Partnerships Daniel Ensley and Deputy Director KB.
