Berndt Group Revamps Maryland Science Center Web Site

Focus on Usability and Appeal to a More Universal Audience

March 7, 2009

BALTIMORE, MD—The Berndt Group, a Baltimore, MD-based full service interactive agency, is pleased to announce the launch of a new web site for the Maryland Science Center. The site launched in late January 2009.

When it was time for the Maryland Science Center (MSC) to rethink its current site, the organization turned to its web agency of record, The Berndt Group. We did the previous iteration of the site, which was live from 2005 - 2008.

In 2008, the Science Center determined it needed to reach a more diverse group of audiences and rethink the site structure to better serve these varied audiences. The new site needed to focus brand and messaging to go beyond kids, encouraging broader audience participation among adults. The Science Center has grown to include a wide range of programming for a diverse group of audiences, and the site needed to reflect this. This presented three primary challenges for the redesign project: structuring the site in a logical and highly usable way; presenting large amounts of content in a way that is visually engaging; and appealing to a more universal audience. The previous site had more of a kid-focus and orientation.

The site has also grown substantially in size in terms of pages of content, so we re-engineered the structure to accommodate a much larger volume of content. A primary goal of the redesign was to parse and organize MSC's business goals and translate them into a site architecture that caters best to MSC's primary audiences, while helping any given site visitor to find what they need at a glance. We created the best possible user experience for site audiences, by segmenting and balancing audiences, so that the overall access of users to information is improved and better serves the business goals of MSC.

Additional, primary goals for the redesign included creating an easy editing paradigm for MSC staff, given the large volume of site content. Another key focus is generating new membership, encouraging online renewals and generating donations. MSC sought to increase its membership base and facilitate ticket purchases online. We paid particular attention to ensure that the new site is extremely usable for donors/members; it is important that this group have ready access to information so that the decision and purchasing process are completed quickly and efficiently. At the same time, the new site appeals to prospective visitors and educators, with a prominent section devoted to programming and events.

Specific feature highlights include: sortable calendars by category and interest: the new Calendar page lets users sort by interest level and includes a Featured Event section; improved navigation and increased readability: check out new Exhibit pages with Exhibit highlight sections and scannable headlines; content managed Homepage Flash with up-to-date MSC happenings; and reformatted Showtime pages help users to better plan their visit.

John Berndt, CEO, commented, "We enjoy working with the Science Center - it's a great group of people and a great institution. It was a pleasure to be able to work with them on the redesign and take their web strategy to the next level. Having worked on the previous site, we were knowledgeable about the institution's business requirements and we were able to leverage our knowledge and expertise in developing the new site. The new site gives the Science Center a solid, and aesthetically pleasing, platform that serves as a marketing tool, information resource and provides the public with a clear and easy way to buy tickets or make donations."

Chris Cropper, Senior Director of Marketing at the Science Center, concurs: "We are pleased with the new site developed by The Berndt Group—it has evolved as our museum has grown. The Berndt Group listened to our needs and suggested strategy recommendations, information architecture and graphic design that we felt would accomplish our goals for the next generation of our web presence. Our experience working with the team and seeing their talents at work has been a positive one and the result is a web site that works for us, works for our constituents, and matches the quality of our onsite experience."

About The Berndt Group

The Berndt Group has been a leading Web design, development and brand communications firm since 1991. The firm provides an integrated set of creative services, including strategic consulting, brand and application development, software implementation, web site design, and internet marketing. Based in Baltimore, MD, the firm services a diverse international and regional base of over fifty active clients, including: The National Aquarium, Johns Hopkins Institutions, SafeNet, Inc., Raytheon, U.S. Immigration, The Federal Aviation Administration, The U.S. Forest Service, The Abell Foundation, and many others. For more information, visit www.berndtgroup.net.

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email: michelle.geczy@berndtgroup.net