The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)
A meticulous data restructure and Gutenberg Block integration to effectively engage the researcher audience and showcase the critical role of data in advancing research impact.
A Trust-Based Partnership: The Referral Connection
The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) came to Marameo Design by referral, a testament to our reputation and quality of work. Dissatisfied with their former agency due to a misalignment in fit and extended timelines, ARDC sought a more reliable and competent partner for a timely and effective revamp of their website. We were privileged to take on this challenge, aligning our expertise with their specific needs to create an engaging, user-friendly digital platform.
Racing Against Time for Audience Engagement
Marameo was tasked with enhancing ARDC’s connection with their researcher audience by developing targeted landing pages and content such as Resource Hubs, Programs and Projects.
Confronted with a tight timeline, we initially attempted to reuse existing components, but compatibility issues arose, necessitating a complete restructuring of the site from a data perspective to effectively support ARDC’s objectives and allow their future growth.
In a remarkable three-month span from June to September 2022, our team overhauled the site, implemented design changes, conducted user testing, and successfully deployed the block library, enhancing content management and site usability.
Innovation through Gutenberg Block
AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH
Incorporating custom Gutenberg blocks was a game-changing strategy for ARDC’s website redesign.
Gutenberg blocks in WordPress have completely transformed the user experience for editors. Creating and designing content has become more intuitive and visually appealing. The block-based editing system allows editors to effortlessly arrange and customise various content elements, offering unprecedented flexibility. By providing a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality, Gutenberg blocks have simplified the creation of dynamic and engaging layouts without the need for extensive coding knowledge. This revolutionary approach has significantly improved editors’ overall productivity and efficiency, empowering them to focus on crafting exceptional content rather than getting caught up in technical complexities.
These blocks revolutionised content editing, enabling ARDC team to create complex layouts without in-depth coding knowledge. This made it possible for even non-technical members to contribute to content creation and management. Furthermore, the customization potential of Gutenberg blocks allowed us to tailor the site to ARDC’s specific needs, creating a unique, brand-coherent online presence.
Are you interested in learning more about our innovative block approach?
Enhancing Design with CSS
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) was an essential part of our innovative approach, which allowed us to control the layout of multiple pages all at once, saving a significant amount of time and ensuring a consistent look and feel across the website.
The site uses 100% custom css without any frameworks, which minimises the number of lines of code to ensure the best performance for the website.
Impactful Results
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
-
Improved Website Performance
Our optimization efforts considerably enhanced the website’s page speed, delivering a seamless browsing experience to ARDC’s visitors. This performance improvement is reflected in Google PageSpeed Insights scores, with the site receiving 98/100 for Performance and a perfect 100/100 for Best Practices.
-
Enhanced Search Engine Visibility
SEMRush metrics served as a testament to our successful SEO efforts, with increased visibility and improved search engine rankings. The SEO score of the site rose to an impressive 98/100.
-
Increased Engagement
Post-launch data from Google Analytics showcased a significant surge in user engagement. Compared to the last six months of the old site, the revamped ARDC site drew 23% more new users within the first six months. Additionally, section interactions jumped by 37%, average engagement time rose by 10%, and page views saw a 23% increase.
-
Accessibility Compliance
A primary focus on inclusivity and accessibility ensured our compliance with relevant guidelines. This commitment to accessibility was recognised with a high Accessibility Score of 98/100.
-
Positive Stakeholder Feedback
The new website was warmly received by leadership, stakeholders, and the target audience of ARDC. This positive feedback has solidified our ongoing collaboration with the ARDC team across various campaigns and projects.
