Visual Design Strategy ? create a family of sites
Developed in tandem with the Robert Wilson Archive, the Watermill Center website was envisioned as the sister site to RobertWilson.com. To support this vision, Media Farm developed a visual design strategy to make WatermillCenter.org and RobertWilson.com look and feel part of the same family, while giving each site a distinctive set of visual characteristics reflective of each organization's mission, content, and target audiences.
Media Farm worked closely with the Watermill Center team to provide creative direction, defining the brand characteristics and visual language for the site. The end result was a design system that successfully captured not only the spirit of Watermill Center, but that was visually evocative of the Center's physical surrounds.
Online Application System ? custom system lowers learning curve, increases efficiency
The primary activity of the Watermill Center is the Summer Program, which each year attracts hundreds of students and artists from around the world for a chance to work with Robert Wilson on new projects. Media Farm worked closely with the Watermill Center to create an Internet-based system for processing Summer Program applications, resulting in a custom solution that delivered significant productivity gains for the Center's administrative staff.
The new system allowed interested applicants to apply online, upload portfolio materials, track the status of applications, and receive email updates when there was a status change. At the same time, Watermill staff were able to review/organize the applications, update the application status, communicate with applicants, and automatically convert accepted applicants to Alumni.
The end result was increased efficiency in Watermill's operations, as the new system allowed them to review and process more applications more quickly.
Water Mill Alumni Portal ? keeps Alumni in touch with the Center
A critical component of the Watermill Center's activities is maintaining contact with its global network of Summer Program Alumni. The Alumni Portal gives Watermill the ability to stay connected with its Alumni, and it keeps them coming back as they seek each other out.
Media Farm helped the Watermill Center refine its Alumni Portal strategy, providing technical planning, design, and development services to create an easy to use Portal where Watermill Center Alumni can stay in touch.
Custom Content Management solutions with OpenPad ? greater control, greater flexibility
Building on our innovative OpenPad Enterprise platform, we created a total content management solution for Watermill Center giving them complete control over their site content and the ability to work faster and more efficiently.
Using OpenPad Enterprise, Watermill Center's staff has granular control over every detail of WatermillCenter.org. Not only are they able to add and change content, but they also can precisely control page layout, design, and formatting: critical capabilities for a high-profile visual arts organization.
Watermill Center's Program Directors and administrative staff are able to add new site sections, create and send custom-designed email newsletters, design unique landing pages, and upload images, Flash, video and audio files. And they can do all of this without requiring the assistance of any technical staff.
The result: Lower Total Cost of Ownership, greater productivity, and no need for technical staff, training, or support.
Bundled Hosting and Maintenance ? simplifying ownership, lowering total cost
Creating, deploying, and maintaining an enterprise website is still a complicated task. In addition to design and content development, one must also consider site hosting, ongoing maintenance of the server hardware and software, and administering applications for content management and outbound email campaigns.
Moreover, dealing with multiple vendors can result in functional and economic inefficiencies, as activities and costs are duplicated across the vendors.
Media Farm's bundled hosting and maintenance solution greatly simplifies Web site deployment, delivering real economic value for our clients. We provided Watermill Center with a package of website hosting services, server hardware and software maintenance, and our OpenPad Enterprise CMS, all for a single competitive monthly fee.
By letting us take care of the technology, the Watermill Center was able to stay focused on their mission: developing new Programs at the Watermill Center, staying in touch with Alumni, and giving students from around the world a chance to work with Robert Wilson.
Benefits - Strategic creative direction and visual design, commensurate with brand and mission
- Custom Online Application System delivers productivity gains
- OpenPad Web Content Management System provides total control over site content, presentation, and data
- Bundled Hosting and Maintenance plan simplifies lowers total cost of ownership
Technology
- Linux
- Apache Web Server
- PHP
- MySQL Database Server
- XHTML, JavaScript
Services - Web site design and architecture
- Implementation
- OpenPad custom Content Management System
- Bundled Web hosting, software services, and maintenance
- Project management
- Content strategy
- System Integration
View Site
http://www.watermillcenter.org
