Project Assessment
and Concept Development
We were approached by the NGO Pro Nagu rf to see if we could work out a concept for an all-encompassing web portal for the island of Nagu in the Southwestern Archipelago of Finland.
This is how it started.
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The Needs
There was an apparent need for a portal that could compile existing information about the Island. This mainly so that people interested in moving to the island could easily find updated information from 1 source. There was also a need though for a portal could also serve the people already living in Nagu.
The initial project assessment consisted of a handful of meetings with the NGO. In these meetings we mapped out the threats and possibilities, narrowing down the ideas into a tangible concept.
One of the main concerns expressed was for the depopulation of the island.
An other deeply rooted concern was that of loosing third sector services to neighboring cities.
Nagu has all the possibilities and services needed for people of all ages to thrive. By showing this and by showing that there exists a vibrant community on the island, we began to mold the concept.
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The Concept
By showing that there exists a vibrant community on the island with all the possibilities and services needed to thrive, we began to mold the concept.
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Target Audiences – Who will the portal serve?
Primary Target Audience: People thinking about moving to Nagu.
- Families
- Seniors
- Entrepreneurs
Secondary Target Audience: People who live in Nagu and/or have summer cottages in Nagu.
Tertiary: Tourists.
- Coming by car, boat and bike.
The portal would then need to have its information clearly divided and structured in an SEO friendly way, ensuring that people both on site and off site could find what they were looking for.
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Which questions would the portal answer?
We divided up the information so that it would answer the following main questions:
- How is it to grow up in Nagu?
- How is it to work in Nagu?
- How is it to age in Nagu?
- How can one participate and be active in Nagu?
- What are the possibilities for thriving in Nagu?
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What problems would the portal solve, and ultimately, what would the purpose of the portal be?
Besides directly serving the needs of people searching for information about Nagu, some of the long term goals for the portal would be to act as a bridge between, Organizations, Entrepreneurs, The City and the Islanders. It would become a common ground where everyone could pitch in for the benefit and longevity of the Community.
Based on the audiences and the answers to the questions we created a Project Presentation or Project Pitch. This presentation was used by Pro Nagu to apply for funding. See the Project Pitch on Adobe Spark. (In Swedish)
The steps can be seen as defining the Purpose, Values, Mission and Vision of the project.
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Creating the framework
The portal is a long-term project where additional modules such as event calendars, forums or e-commerce can be added with ease.
We partnered with photographer Tero Tuomisto, to showcase Nagu from the best possible angles.
Here are some of the solutions that we used to achieve the technical and aesthetical frame of the portal.
Illustrations.
Support graphics.
Icons.
Interactive elements.
The Service Catalog
The Nagu Service Catalog compiles all third, and private sector service providers in Nagu into a search friendly catalog.
The Service Catalog has 370 listings or 185 in two languages. The listings are divided into 5 main categories based on service type and 50 tags based on interest.
The Catalog is designed for mobile first, giving it an app-like feel without the app expenses.
