Client Information
The American Camp Association® is a national organization serving the more than 15,000 year-round and summer camps, that are attended by more than 26 million campers. Committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults, the ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development. As the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience, ACA accreditation provides public evidence of a camp's voluntary commitment to the health, safety, risk management, and overall well-being of campers and staff.
Project overview
As the ACA’s Drupal 7 website was “nearing the end of its shelf life,” stakeholders sought an upgrade and migration Drupal 9, and leveraged the opportunity to closely evaluate every aspect of their seven-year-old site. The site was deemed: “not bad, but stale,” and essential goals included:
- A user experience that pivoted away from the previous site’s outdated look and feel, and accurately conveyed the ACA’s thought leadership role;
- Clean and simple navigation;
- Close adherence to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to ensure inclusivity for users of all abilities;
- A modern, refreshed look and theme that reflected the ACA’s thought leadership within the industry as well as all out-of-school time experiences; and
- A flexible design system that could be easily updated as needed.
Distinct Business Model
In migrating to a redesigned Drupal 9 site, the ACA was looking to take a leap forward toward an improved member experience fueled by streamlined site navigation and value-added journeys that were clearly structured to align with user needs and expectations.
A significant step toward achieving this goal was the development of two distinct top navigation bars – one for Parents & Families, and another for Camp Professionals, utilizing a paywall to monetize content, as appropriate.
During a two-day discovery process facilitated by Promet, ACA stakeholders explained the complexities of their business model and audiences served by their website, which includes camp professionals, parents, summer help, as well as local communities.
Awards and Accolades
Following launch of acacamps.org the feedback from members and stakeholders was overwhelmingly positive. An added level of affirmation arrived with the site’s receipt of the prestigious Web Excellence Award for “Mission Driven User Experience.”
