Case Study - Menlo Together
Modernizing a Community Advocacy Website to Inspire Civic Engagement
This website redesign was completed as a pro bono project through Catchafire, a nonprofit organization that connects skilled volunteers with mission-driven nonprofits. Menlo Together partnered with New Web Creative to transform its outdated website into a modern, engaging digital platform that better supports its mission of promoting equity, sustainability, inclusion, and civic engagement in Menlo Park. Through thoughtful strategy, user-centered design, and WordPress development, the redesigned website makes it easier for residents to discover resources, stay informed, participate in community initiatives, and take meaningful action.
- Client: Menlo Together
- Location: Menlo Park, CA
- Industry: Nonprofit / Community Advocacy
- Services: Website Redesign
Project Overview
Menlo Together is a nonprofit organization that brings residents together to advocate for a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive Menlo Park. As the organization expanded its initiatives and educational resources, its website needed to evolve into a more effective communication and engagement platform.
The goal of the redesign was to create a modern, accessible website that clearly communicates Menlo Together’s mission, showcases its advocacy efforts, and makes it easy for community members to get involved. Just as importantly, the site needed to be simple enough for volunteers and staff to manage without requiring ongoing technical support.
The Challenge
The previous website had accumulated years of content and was becoming increasingly difficult for visitors to navigate. Important information was buried within lengthy menus, pages lacked visual consistency, and opportunities for community engagement were not always easy to find.
Key challenges included:
- Outdated design that no longer reflected the organization's mission or professionalism
- Complex navigation that made it difficult to locate advocacy resources
- Inconsistent page layouts and content presentation
- Growing library of blog posts and educational content that needed better organization
- Limited calls-to-action encouraging visitors to volunteer, attend events, or take action
- Need for a website that volunteers could confidently maintain after launch
The redesign needed to improve both the visitor experience and the organization’s long-term ability to manage its own website.
Before & After: A Digital Transformation
Before: A Website Stuck in the Past
Before the redesign, the Menlo Together website no longer reflected the organization’s growing impact or evolving mission. Years of content additions had resulted in inconsistent page layouts, complex navigation, and an outdated visual design that made it difficult for visitors to find information or discover opportunities to get involved. Advocacy resources, blog posts, and community updates were scattered throughout the site, creating a fragmented user experience. While the website contained valuable information, it lacked the structure and clear calls-to-action needed to effectively engage residents and support the organization’s goals.
After: A Modern Platform Built for Growth
The redesigned website provides Menlo Together with a modern, accessible, and easy-to-navigate digital presence that better serves both the organization and its community. Content was reorganized into a clear, intuitive structure, making advocacy resources, events, and educational materials easier to find. A refreshed visual design reinforces the organization’s mission while prominent calls-to-action encourage visitors to volunteer, stay informed, and participate in local initiatives. Built with WordPress and Elementor Pro, the new site is also simple for volunteers and staff to maintain, ensuring the organization can continue updating and growing its online presence with confidence.
Our Approach
Working closely with Menlo Together, we developed a redesigned website focused on clarity, accessibility, and community engagement.
Strategic Information Architecture
Content was reorganized into a logical structure that helps visitors quickly find information about the issues they care about while providing clear pathways to learn more, attend events, and become involved.
Modern User Experience
The homepage was redesigned to immediately communicate the organization’s mission, highlight current initiatives, promote upcoming events, and guide visitors toward meaningful calls-to-action.
Improved Content Organization
Advocacy resources, news articles, and educational content were restructured into organized categories, making the growing content library significantly easier to browse and search.
Volunteer-Friendly Content Management
Using WordPress and Elementor Pro, the website was built with flexibility in mind. Volunteers can easily update pages, publish news, replace images, and maintain content without writing code.
To support long-term success, a comprehensive Website Owner’s Manual was also created, providing step-by-step instructions for managing the site after launch.
Mobile-First Responsive Design
Every page was optimized to deliver a consistent experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, ensuring accessibility for visitors wherever they engage with the organization.
Results
The redesigned website provides Menlo Together with a professional digital presence that better reflects its mission while making it easier for residents to connect with the organization and take action.
Project outcomes include:
- Modern, welcoming website that reflects the organization’s values
- Simplified navigation and improved user experience
- Better organization of advocacy resources and blog content
- Clearer calls-to-action that encourage community involvement
- Fully responsive design across all devices
- Streamlined content management for volunteers and staff
- Scalable website structure that can grow alongside the organization
The result is a website that serves as both an educational resource and a community engagement platform, helping Menlo Together continue its mission of building a more informed, connected, and active community.
Technology
- WordPress
- Elementor Pro
- Responsive Web Design
- Custom Page Templates
- Blog & Archive Templates
- Search Optimization
- Image Optimization
- SEO Best Practices
Services Provided
- Website Strategy
- User Experience (UX) Design
- User Interface (UI) Design
- WordPress Development
- Information Architecture
- Content Organization
- Responsive Design
- Quality Assurance & Launch
- Website Administrator Training
- Custom Website Owner’s Manual