Case Study
Redesigning and Rebuilding a Content-Rich Website with an Extensive Resource Library
The Challenge
The Clayton Christensen Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization founded on the theories of late Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. The Economist called his theory of Disruptive Innovation the most influential business idea of the early 21st Century.
The Institute produces a wealth of content — blog posts, publications, and various multimedia content — and had an aging WordPress website that made locating content and learning about the theories challenging. It was time for a complete redesign and rebuild.
There were two key challenges: developing a site navigation to make content learning curves easier, and designing a resource library complete with content types and taxonomies to organize over 2,500 content items. Each piece of content is tied back to one of five theoretical approaches, as well as research areas including education, healthcare, and global prosperity.
You never fully understand how mediocre a website is until you experience how incredible it can be following a complete redesign. Misunderstandings, lackluster results, project delays, and increased costs had become the norm for us in working with other developers over the years. Ed came into our professional lives as an unexpected gift. Every detail, decision made, and design or functionality recommended is easily explained with grace, patience, and decades of expertise. Project outcomes are often delivered AHEAD of time. However, perhaps two things that make working with Ed such a genuinely enriching experience are that he comes to the table as a friend and with proactive recommendations, insights, and improvements that we didn’t have to ask for only after problems occurred.
Meris Stansbury, Senior Director of Communications, The Christensen Institute
Our Process
We started with a detailed content audit of the website, alongside a list of new and updated pages to better tell the organization’s story while highlighting key content differentiators. We also assembled a list of functional requirements, including segmented newsletter signups and links to online learning courses. From this foundation, we developed a new site architecture, with details of the navigation hierarchy and page layouts for each content type.
Once the framework of the new WordPress site was developed, we migrated each type of content from the old to the new site, and conducted several data updates across thousands of content items as the migration progressed.
In addition to the rebuild of the website, the Christensen Institute introduced a new visual identity, including an updated logo, color scheme, and typography. Blue Hills Digital provided support throughout that process, ensuring everything met web accessibility standards.
Pre-launch, we shared a suite of training materials for Christensen Institute website users, including internal admins and a number of staff authors who regularly publish content. Training materials include video walk-throughs for key tasks, along with step-by-step written instructions.
The launch process went smoothly, and within weeks have already seen search ranking improvements for core target search terms. We’re also receiving rave reviews from website authors pleased with the boost in visibility and user experience on the new website.
Ed isn’t just a skilled web developer. He’s an incredible thought partner and guide. Wouldn’t want to be on a website rebuild with anyone else. From technical prowess and thought-provoking insights, to attention to detail with a can-do mindset, working with Ed is priceless.
Mary Knox Miller, Digital Strategist, The Christensen Institute
