It’s good to have a few side-projects to keep me busy and help sharpen my skills. I joined the communication committee at the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing to help them launch a new website for the congregation. Their old site was put together by a few part-time volunteers and was in need of an upgrade. After consulting with the communications committee and helping them determine their primary goals for the site, I developed an online strategy and technical plan to help them branch out online.

The site was re-launched on WordPress using a highly customized version of the Mimbo theme. The design was simple and matched their existing printed marketing materials but it gave the committee many new tools to reach out to both new members and facilitate communication between existing church groups.

About a year later we revisited the site design and made some small improvements based on user feedback and metrics gathered through Google Analytics. We also added video sermons to the site, hosted by Vimeo but integrated into the overall site design. There’s a nifty solar counter widget, too, that tracks the amount of carbon saved to-date by the church’s newly installed solar panels.