Overview
Interactive Knowledge was challenged to help the Fetzer Institute redesign their website to clearly communicate their unique, but complicated, mission. A detailed Discovery Process led to a very thorough content strategy complete with audience analysis, 30 different user journeys, and user testing. The redesigned site is a thoughtful response to the question: “What does the Fetzer Institute do and why?”
About this project
The Fetzer Institute has a unique and compelling mission: “Helping build a spiritual foundation for a loving world.” Their process for achieving this mission is grounded in an approach that calls for a global movement that is sustained and expanded by partners around the world. Interactive Knowledge is honored to support this important effort and has been working with the Fetzer Institute for fourteen years. The latest redesign of their main website uses Drupal 8 as the framework and content management system. The project required many months of planning and discussion with the Fetzer team and their communications partner, Hattaway Communications. The redesigned site is a thoughtful response to the question: “What does the Fetzer Institute do and why?”
The project goals
One of the most interesting and vexing problems that needed to be solved before the site was complete was how to explain Fetzer’s compelling but complicated “Theory of Change?” We knew a twenty-two page document is perfect for very committed readers who want all the details. While the new website is a good repository for this information, the average visitor needed a more engaging presentation that sparked their interest. Along with the Fetzer team, we designed and produced a short introduction to the Theory of Change that has been very popular on the new site. This animated video has also been shared widely across Fetzer’s social media channels.
In addition to describing the basis for much of the work Fetzer tackles with their partners around the world, the new site also provides insight into several important projects currently underway. Three projects were featured at launch but the site is designed to grow as new projects mature and are ready to be shared. Each project section is dynamic and pulls content from many areas of the back-end database that stores most of the content. Each project includes a full description along with multiple resources (documents, articles, videos, etc.) that the project either generated or that formed the basis for the work. Additional content includes events from the calendar related to the project and relevant Fetzer produced blog posts.
The IK approach
The Fetzer Institute’s audience is a wide cross-section of people who are searching for information that can help them expand their spiritual practice, learn how to become part of a global, compassionate community or instill empathy and open-mindedness in their students, employees or constituents. During the planning process, over thirty user journeys were generated that identified specific reasons why visitors would interact with the new website. This process led the creative team to a site architecture that is simple but clearly defines content location. Through modern, component-based design an engaging look and feel is combined with powerful imagery and impactful content that appeals to Fetzer Institute’s unique audience. Rotating featured content and lists of recently created content provides incentives for new and return visitors to explore the website.
Powerful and Engaging Visual Design
Through modern, component-based design an engaging look and feel is combined with powerful imagery and impactful content that appeals to Fetzer Institute’s unique audience. Rotating featured content and lists of recently created content provides incentives for new and return visitors to explore the website.
Expanded Staff and Board Section
The best way to learn about what the Fetzer Institute does is to understand the staff’s roles, experience and daily activities. Previous versions of the website had little information beyond names and titles. Visitors to the site could not gain any information about the inner workings of the operation from the scarce content presented in the About section. Fetzer’s staff is known internally as a Community of Freedom. Weekly staff meetings focus on creating a peaceful and loving environment that communicates Fetzer’s mission both internally and externally.
Fetzer’s dynamic and engaging staff, a key component to the institute’s identity, can highlight personal connections to their work through a short biography, photo gallery and by highlighting their favorite content from the website.
New Opportunities to Engage
Early in the redesign process, an online survey was presented on Fetzer’s home page with a few key questions for current website users. Feedback from that survey showed a clear need for creating a way for visitors to communicate with the Fetzer staff and among themselves. Two new features were added to address these requests. A series of digital postcards were created that are an easy way to share visually inspiring content with anyone. Online polls and open-ended questions that focus on the work Fetzer is currently engaged in are used throughout the website and include responses gathered to date.
The “We Want to Know” survey, provided by the IK Engagement Drupal module, shows capabilities available to content creators for soliciting audience feedback. Several survey types are available including forms, rating scales and polls. Fetzer Institute uses these tools to regularly engage with their audience and measure visitor satisfaction.
Drupal 8 Content Management
The new website is built using the latest version of Drupal using a headless approach. We wrote thorough documentation and provided training and support to help Fetzer staff use the administrative tools in the back end. Interactive Knowledge hosts this website and will continue to provide training, support and upgrades as requested.
To see the new Fetzer Institute website and the wealth of information contained, visit fetzer.org.