Appell Center for the Performing Arts Case Study

Appell Center for the Performing Arts

______

We gave the Appell Center for the Performing Arts a brand new website that showcases its lively offerings, helps users find the shows, films, workshops, and events they want to attend, and supports staff who frequently post events and community information.

Who is ACPA?

The Appell Center is the cultural hub of downtown York, PA. In two historic theatres and a modern studio space, this nonprofit presents nationally touring performers, films, workshops, classes, and community

events. It has a long history of community engagement.

Their Challenges

The Appell Center has a mission to “inspire, educate and entertain through professional performing arts experiences that bring together York County’s diverse voices.” It markets live entertainment, film, and educational workshops to its audiences and maintains robust membership, sponsor, and volunteer programs. The organization must engage audiences during their initial visit AND keep them coming back, keep them giving, and keep them engaged and invested in the organization beyond the initial transaction.

The project goals included the following:

• Create an enhanced front end user experience.
• Create a site that is mobile responsive.
• Make the site accessible and meet ADA compliance standards.
• Provide an easy back-end operating system for staff.
• Increased engagement across the site.
• Support the organization’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) work.
• Ensure an uninterrupted path to register for events and purchase tickets.

Our Solution

The Hayman Team created a fully refreshed visual design of the site and built a custom backend that has improved technical and administrative efficiency of site updates.

Mobile Responsiveness

Eighty percent of the Appell Center’s users access the website on mobile devices. We designed a mobile responsive site that is just as intuitive and user-friendly as the desktop version and eliminates the need to develop a costly app. Users can learn about new events, purchase tickets, and access digital tickets and playbills easily from their mobile device.

Homepage Slider

We designed a functional, adaptive homepage slider that the Appell Center uses to highlight specific shows, events, and initiatives. Event promotional material comes from promoters in a variety of sizes and aspect ratios. We developed a backend tool that helps staff use promo materials efficiently.  It includes the following:

• Multiple custom templates that fit the most common sizes of promo materials
• Options for background colors
• Options for foreground call to action feature

Event Listings + Filter

Our team created a new way for users to see upcoming events and designed tools to help them find what they need efficiently:

• User option to see events in a list view with promotional images (this is the default)
• User option to see events in a calendar view
• A new event search function that includes a search bar and filters

Backend Show Builder

We worked closely with the Appell team to learn about how they receive promotional material and information about upcoming shows. Then, we created a comprehensive tool on the backend of the website that makes adding new show information efficient and leaves little room for error or missing information. We trained staff to use the show builder and recorded the training for use by future Appell Center staff.

Training

At Hayman Studio, our philosophy is simple: We create unique, user-friendly sites that are also client-friendly. That means that our clients can easily operate the backend of their sites and manage their own content without an ongoing retainer with us.

We train our clients to use the backend of their sites with a live training where they can learn to use the features we’ve developed and ask questions. We also provide a recorded training that they can use as a refresher or provide to new staff as needed.

The Results

The Hayman Team designed and developed an Appell Center website that will stand the test of time AND remain manageable within the organization. It implements easy-to-follow navigation, crisp color, mobile responsiveness, and the most up to date accessibility standards. Our purposefully designed backend creates an easy, and time efficient user experience for the Appell Center staff that maximizes the use of images that users want to see as they search for events and opportunities at this cultural hub of York, PA.

As for the site performance and user experience, the proof is in the stats. Here are some figures to compare November 2022 to November 2023(post launch).

“The Hayman team is fully committed to the success of not only the project, but the organization, and it shows in their focus and attention to every detail. All concerns are reviewed and addressed… project organization is effective with ample communication of timelines and expectations… the experience feels more like a partnership than a client/vendor relationship. We have an effective website that not only maintains and even elevates our reputation, but increases traffic and customer engagement into the future. Bringing Hayman Studio on board for this project was the best decision I could have made for our needs.”

Debra Volz, Director of Marketing at the Appell Center for the Performing Arts

WHAT WE DID

• Website design and development
• Custom WordPress backend development
• Custom show builder application
• Audience analysis
• Website copyediting
• Location photography