City of Ferndale Launches New Website
(Crystal A. Proxmire, July 26, 2023)
Ferndale, MI – The City of Ferndale has a new website, complete with more pictures and improved accessibility.
The website came about because the former website vendor was no longer offering design services, according to Ferndale Communications Director Kara Sokol.
As city leaders considered how to address complaints about design and accessibility issues – such as small typeface, poor color contrast, and challenges when searching for information – they also wanted more visual elements to show off the Ferndale community itself. “Our old site was really limited in the ability to showcase our incredible community, people, and services; we’re happy to have a site that better allows us to feature photos and content,” Sokol said.
The new site features larger fonts, starker color contrasts, and a feature called AccessiBe, which allows users to customize the site to their specifications. There are customizations available for users who are low-sight, ADHD, epileptic, and more. To access this, click on the “accessible person” logo in the bottom right corner of any screen.
The site was designed by local firm Hadrout Design after going through the RFP process to explore multiple proposals. “The owner and our chief designer, Maria Petrenko, has been absolutely wonderful to work with; being a long-time, Ferndale small-business owner gave her unique insight into our community and its style, content, and user needs,” Sokol said. “She met—and exceeded—our needs every step of the way. We also were thrilled to go with a local business versus a bigger provider; the process was friendly and tailored to us.”
About 170,000 users come to the website each year, with about half a million page views, with activity peaking in the summer months of June and July.
According to Sokol, “People come mostly for nuts-and-bolts information: paying property taxes and water bills, contacting code enforcement, filing permits, searching ordinance info (such as fireworks and backyard bonfires), and checking to see if holidays will cause closures or delays in garbage pickup. The goal was to provide a user experience that makes basic information like this easy to access while also featuring standout departments, initiatives, programs, and people.”
Archives of important information such as agendas and meetings for City Council and other boards and commissions remain on the new site for those researching past decisions.
Prompts on the website let users know that if they spot glitches or have questions they can easily reach out and give feedback.
“I want to thank everyone for their patience as we work to iron out small usability issues in the new site,” Sokol said. “Transitioning sites is a massive undertaking, especially for a small team. If people run into challenges they can submit the form on the homepage or reach out to me directly at ksokol@ferndalemi.gov.”
Check out the new website at https://www.ferndalemi.gov/
