Best of the Web, Worst of the Web

For this post I'm going to do something slightly different. I'm going to pick a theme, and my theme is this: local nonprofits and government websites. I'm choosing to evaluate these websites in particular because theoretically they should be the easiest to navigate, with good architecture, content, and simple design. However, in my past life as a researcher and southeast Michigan enthusiast I have found that this is unfortunately not the case.

(above is a screen shot of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance homepage)

I suspect this is mainly a function of the challenges facing city government. i.e. Their resources are scarce, the staff is older (as in the staff doesn't use/care about the internet as much as they should), and existing bureaucracy promotes the attitude that it's simply better to come into the office and get things taken care of there. I'm not saying this is always true, but the majority of small city websites I've visited are not very helpful, and would make my designer friends cringe/offer to fix them pro-bono. That being said, let's check out some websites:

My pick for the best is the Michigan Suburbs Alliance website. The Suburbs Alliance is a nonprofit based out of Ferndale Michigan that coordinates public policy initiatives among 31 inner ring suburbs in southeast Michigan, in solidarity with the city of Detroit. The content of the website is fantastic and easy to absorb, making local policy challenges seem interesting—something worth getting involved in.

(Below is a screenshot of the City of Hamtramck' s homepage)


The architecture and design of the website support the content. The website looks good, and it has high accessibility,so finding documents, publications, and more information is easy to do. I also like that the website directs you to the right person to e-mail questions to. Need a copy of publication? e-mail Anna. Questions about MMC? e-mail Sharon. This makes it so that people visiting the website that want more information receive effective feedback and want to re-visit the website.

Looking at this website, it's pretty obvious that a lot of time and consideration has gone into the content, architecture, and design. While the Suburbs Alliance is a nonprofit, it's a nonprofit that understands the importance of good design and branding. I think there's a lesson in this: namely, content + architecture + design helps visitors to the website, but also boosts legitimacy. Looking at this website, I already think that the organization must be doing good work since even the website is well-maintained. That being said, let's look at some city websites.

I'm going to pick three, because to me this is a theme for local websites, and not something that can be blamed on just one poorly designed municipal website. Hamtramck, Huntington Woods, and Ferndale. On the surface, the architecture for these websites doesn't look all that bad. However, as soon as you need something specific, like the number for a program coordinator navigation can become a nightmare. That is because there is a disconnect between what the websites want to do, and what they actually do. In reality they are not always functional.

Also, the content doesn't always seem in sync. While the Suburbs Alliance website seemed to have a uniform voice, the content in these municipal websites seems to shift and change, but not in a good way. Finally, the websites suffer from overall poor design. The Hamtramck site, for instance, makes the city look dull and kitschy, whereas in reality Hamtramck is one of the coolest communities in southeast Michigan. i.e. The website is a disservice to the community.

What I hope to have shown from this exercise is that we need to rethink municipal websites so that they can better service the community, and help to positively portray opportunities and programs in said communities. I think this may get better as the older city staff begins to retire and a new generation of workers takes their place (in the next 5-10 years).

Well, that's it for now. Go visit Hamtramck—SSS

P.S. I'm going to be at a writing workshop in NYC this weekend, with staff members from The Nation and Polito coming to teach us writing skills... as in blogging. I'll be sure to report back to the class!

Images:

Screenshot: Michigan Suburbs Alliance webpage
Screenshot:City of Hamtramck Webpage