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Website Modernization and Redesign

City Website Modernization and Redesign Project 

The current cityoftacoma.org website has been in operation since 2013 and averages 5.5 million page views per year. It serves as the primary platform for engaging with residents, businesses, and visitors, offering information about Tacoma, facilitating government-resident communication, providing digital services, and promoting transparency. The site, as it is available now to users, needs an update.

 

New Website Anticipated to Launch in the Spring 2025

Our new website will have a modern and accessible web interface that is attractive and engaging to users. With the goal of a better user experience, the new site will be built on responsive page layouts and content that renders seamlessly for users on any browser or device. To help us meet our goals, in late 2023, we put out a request for proposals (RFP) to find a vendor to assist with building our new site. After a competitive  international search, in April 2024, Tacoma-based SiteCrafting was selected as the vendor for the city website modernization and redesign project.

 

In the Spring of 2025, residents, businesses, and visitors seeking information about the City of Tacoma will see a new and improved City website that is modern, attractive, engaging, information-rich and accessible on any internet-connected device.

 

Before we launch our new site, we plan to hold community events to allow you to provide feedback. Please visit this web page for project updates and ways to get involved.

 

Community Events and Feedback

In June 2024, we invited the community to learn more about the website redesign project and participate in an online activity to help us test and organize the content on our new site. We attended two of the One Tacoma Visioning Workshops at Bates Technical College and at Salishan Family Investment Center.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Website Redesign Project

 

How Will Community Input Be Solicited or Collected?

Community input will be solicited through a total of eight events, four during design (June 2024) and four after site development (February-early March 2025). A combination of larger events, focus groups (6-8 people), and individual usability testing sessions. 

 

What Kind of Community Engagement Activities Will Be Held?

There were two community events held in June 2024, as well as community focus groups and one-on-one usability testing.

 

Additional events in Spring 2025 are to follow but are not yet planned.

What are the Goals for the New Website?

Improve navigation and enhance findability:
Quickly find information on common questions, current projects, City goals, council meetings, recent updates, news, resident issues, and alerts/outages.

Increase accessibility and usability:
Easy to navigate on various devices, with access to online services and accessible content for all users, regardless of ability or language, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, and culturally inclusive. 

Modernize the design:
Update the visual design to be more appealing, user-friendly, engaging, and interactive. Focus on mobile-friendly design and consistent branding.

Improve transparency and content accuracy:
Maintain relevant and current content across categories, departments, and offices to enhance transparency and information availability. 

Enhance resident engagement:
Improve resident engagement by providing online services, links to frequently accessed sites, communication alerts, and updates on key projects.

 

What is the Timeline for the Launch of the New City Website?

The new City website is anticipated to launch in Spring 2025. 

 



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