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Sutton Mitra Mandal

Overview

About Project

  • Sutton Mitra Mandal: is a social, non-political, community-driven organisation that brings together Indian Communities in and around Sutton Borough to celebrate our cultural identity and enable integration with local communities
  • Main users: The Sutton Borough community

My Role

Website designer and developer: To create a brand presence for the community website whilst informing community members about upcoming events
Collaboration: A community manager

Requirements

  • To develop distinctive brand colours to enhance the organisation’s visual identity
  • To crafted a visually engaging timeline and gallery showcasing past events, fostering a sense of community history
  • To established a strong brand presence through strategic design elements, reinforcing organisational identity
  • To effectively communicate upcoming events to inform and engage the community, promoting active participation

Design Process

User Research

  • Conducted competitor analysis to understand industry standards and identify unique features for Sutton Mitra Mandal’s website.
  • Gathered valuable assets, including high-quality images and videos, to enhance the visual appeal of the website.
  • Considered SEO strategies, ensuring the website is optimised for search engines.
  • Ensured responsive design and accessibility standards to cater to a diverse audience.
  • Conducted in-depth user research to understand the needs, preferences, and cultural nuances of the Indian communities in and around Sutton Borough.
  • Engaged with community members through surveys and interviews to gather insights on their digital engagement habits and expectations.
  • Explored existing community websites to identify successful design elements and functionalities.

Ideation

  • Defined the role as a website designer and developer with a focus on creating a distinct brand presence for the community.
  • Identified the need for brand colours and envisioned a timeline and gallery to showcase the community’s history and events.
  • Collaborated with community leaders to define the brand presence for Sutton Mitra Mandal, capturing the essence of cultural identity and community-driven values.
  • Brainstormed creative ideas to represent the organisation’s non-political and celebratory nature through the website design.
  • Created a colour palette that resonates with the cultural identity while ensuring a visually appealing and accessible design whilst following the double AA standards.

Prototyping and Testing

  • Developed a prototype incorporating the defined brand colours, timeline, and gallery features.
  • Tested the website’s cross-browser compatibility to ensure a seamless experience for users.
  • Developed wireframes and prototypes to visualise the website structure, ensuring it effectively communicates the community’s mission and values.
  • Incorporated a timeline feature to showcase the organisation’s history and milestones, fostering a sense of community pride and continuity.
  • Designed a gallery section to highlight and celebrate previous events through captivating images.
  • Conducted usability testing with representatives from the Indian community to ensure the website resonates with the target audience.
  • Gathered feedback on the design, navigation, and content to refine the user experience and address any cultural sensitivities.
  • Ensured that the website is accessible to users of all backgrounds and ages, aligning with the community’s diverse demographic.

Iteration

  • Implemented iterative improvements based on user feedback, refining the design and functionality to better align with community expectations.
  • Worked closely with community leaders to incorporate any necessary adjustments to the brand presence, colors, and content.
  • Ensured the website remained adaptable to the evolving needs and dynamics of the Sutton Mitra Mandal community.

Outcomes

Final Designs

  • Successfully created a brand presence for the Sutton Mitra Mandal community website with a consistent color scheme.
  • Implemented a timeline and gallery features to showcase the community’s cultural identity.
  • Successfully translated the ideation and brand presence into a visually appealing and culturally resonant website design for Sutton Mitra Mandal.
  • Implemented the chosen color palette to create a cohesive and vibrant online representation of the community’s cultural identity.
  • Integrated the timeline and gallery features seamlessly into the website, offering a rich user experience.

Impact and Results

  • Enhanced the digital presence of Sutton Mitra Mandal, contributing to community growth and integration.
  • Achieved cross-browser compatibility, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of users.
  • Enhanced the digital presence of Sutton Mitra Mandal, resulting in increased visibility and engagement within the Indian communities in and around Sutton Borough.
  • Monitored website analytics to track key performance indicators such as traffic, user engagement, and event participation.
  • Facilitated stronger integration with local communities, fostering a sense of pride and unity among the members.

Challenges and Learnings

  • Overcame challenges in defining a suitable colour scheme and ensuring alignment with community expectations.
  • Learned the importance of establishing clear project goals from the outset to streamline the design process.
  • Addressed challenges related to balancing cultural authenticity with modern design principles, ensuring the website appeals to a diverse demographic.
  • Overcame technical challenges in implementing features like the timeline and gallery, ensuring optimal performance and user experience.
  • Learned the importance of clear communication with community leaders to accurately represent their vision and values in the digital space.
  • Implemented iterative improvements based on user feedback, refining the website’s design and content to better resonate with the community.
  • Demonstrated adaptability by addressing unexpected challenges and making necessary adjustments to align with evolving community needs.
  • Cultivated a collaborative approach, involving community leaders in the ongoing refinement of the website to ensure continued success.
  • Fostered user engagement through feedback channels, encouraging community members to share their thoughts on the website’s design and content.
  • Leveraged user feedback to make informed decisions on improvements, ensuring the website remains a valuable resource for the community.
  • Addressed acessbility of the colours used throughout the website according to the double AA standards.