A mutually beneficial partnership continues to grow.

VIEA is a collaborative partnership spearheading regional economic development for the Vancouver Island Region. Along with their many initiatives, their website is primarily a place to find reports and economic data for the various industries represented across our regions. VIEA has extensive volumes of information and a wide range of stakeholders, from communities, First Nations, businesses, individuals, and more, who all will be looking to VIEA’s website as a place to find succinct, accurate information quickly and easily.

Since the very first iteration of their website, VIEA’s objectives and needs for their website have changed drastically. Their very first website had much less content, and their initiatives were not as well defined.

Over the years, they have gathered and generated an entire database of economic information that needed to be categorized and easily searchable. We also created a website that was optimized for mobile, scalable, and future-friendly.

In order to become a member of VIEA, you needed to fill out a hard copy membership form and send it in. As time went on, and membership was ramping up, VIEA needed an automated solution for membership signup and profile management that reduced the manual draw on their staff. Array created and integrated a membership portal that allows prospective members to sign up directly on the VIEA website, as well as keep their profiles up-to-date.

Examining their extensive volume of information, we started with a complete content inventory. We then examined the website stakeholders and how they currently used the site, identifying where weaknesses in user flow were arising. With the content and user analysis in hand, we redeveloped their information architecture and then executed a design targeted to the demographic they wished to draw further into the site (potential members).

It’s pretty common knowledge that many people digest and respond to information more effectively and efficiently when it is presented in a visual format. Array created interactive maps for VI First Nations, Regions & Communities, as well as Regional & Economic Information, which have served to increase website engagement from stakeholders.