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The Queensland Clay Target Association (QCTA) is the governing body for clay target shooting in Queensland. They promote and administer the sport, ensuring fair competition and safe conditions. The Association also organises events and supports over 50 individual clubs across the state.
We worked with the Association to develop a professional-looking website that could attract new club members and include an integrated club management and communications portal system.
The biggest issue QCTA had was that their website not only looked outdated but the system was outdated too. They needed a website that allowed them to easily keep track of and communicate with their club members and volunteers. Many individual clubs didn’t have their own website so QCTA also wanted to create a directory within their website so people could find their local club information.
The QCTA needed a whole new website capable of managing their main priorities. The team took on the design and development of the new website and worked together with QCTA to create a redesigned site with added features including a club directory.
We worked on a new look website that was bold and more modern:
In the backend, we created a club directory that allowed clubs to:
We implemented a robust volunteer management system so the QCTA could keep track of their volunteers:
Previously, QCTA and the individual clubs were adding PDFs that included dates for their events to the website. We created an events calendar for QCTA and the clubs to better manage the multiple event dates they have each month without having to upload documents.
The document control system we implemented used a specific plugin that we sourced to create a Custom Post Type. This has a built in version control and allows for replacing and updating of a document without changing the URL.
The first initial challenge was meeting the tight timeline that we were given to complete this project. We had just six weeks, from briefing to making the site live. In order to meet this deadline - which we did - we needed to make sure that there was regular communication between the design and development team internally first and then QCTA. Before we started work, we made sure that we built out the timeline with very strict timeframes and milestones that we, including those at QCTA, knew had to meet in order to meet the end goal. We made sure that any changes to the timeline were communicated and explained. We continually updated them on every aspect and phase of the project so they knew what we were working on and how we were going along the way.
In the mockup stage, we used Figma—so they could visually see how the site would look—and email—to ensure that their feedback was known and adhered to.
In the development stage, we held video meetings (in part due to email communications also being a challenge) with QCTA’s key decision makers to ensure that we could explain every aspect of the website and the back end too. This phase was important to get right as we needed to have a clear and swift transition from development to staging if we were to meet the deadline.
Outside of the usual web design challenges any web designer and development faces, the biggest challenge on this project was around the clubs themselves. The QCTA is the governing body and therefore in charge of the associated clubs. The question we had to ask ourselves was how much customisation do we give to clubs on their own listings. The pages needed to still be consistent with the overall look and feel of the website but we wanted to make sure that each club could make their listing their own.
In the mockup stage of development, there were multiple discussions with QCTA on the customisation for clubs and how that process could work. In these discussions, it was decided that the information that needed to appear on the club listings was more important than the clubs having a say over the design of their listing. A form was created that allowed the clubs to control the content but not the design so that the design was maintained across all listings.
This project came to us with a really tight timeframe but the results are in. We hit the deadline and delivered! We stuck to our key milestones, and anything that led us off track, we communicated successfully with QCTA.
First and foremost, the QCTA love the bold and modern approach we took to the design of their website. They also love the ability for their clubs to control the content on their listings but that the listing pages are still consistent with the overall design of the website.
The greatest achievement was meeting what we all knew was a really tight timeframe when it comes to designing and developing a website. Of course, it can be done easily if you’re willing to compromise on a whole bunch of things, including the design, but we weren’t!
We made sure we hit the deadline but that all the components the QCTA needed and wanted were delivered on too. We designed a website that not only QCTA and their clubs could be proud of but one that we were proud of too.
We’re looking forward to feedback from the clubs on using the form to create their listings and how the site goes in increasing club memberships.
Check out the website here!
Nikki has over 20 years marketing, content, social media, PR, and event management experience. What sets her apart is her ability to blend creativity with strategic insights, ensuring that every piece of content not only resonates with its intended audience but also achieves the intended results.
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