New District Website Unveiled, Strategy Shared

‘Fun’, customer service-driven site represents changing culture at District

The District of Squamish has unveiled its new website, designed to provide an improved and enhanced user-friendly web experience for Squamish residents, businesses, visitors and potential investors. The light-hearted design direction signifies a major departure from traditional municipal websites.

“This site is a visual representation of the culture shift that is taking place within the District of Squamish organization,” says District of Squamish Mayor Rob Kirkham. “The design is fresh, and the site is customer-service driven. The site design is a departure from what people expect from government.”

Squamish is a dynamic town with an active, youthful population. The median age in Squamish is 37 and 63% of the population are under the age of 40 (2011 Census). “We represent a vibrant and passionate community, and we want to bring this to life through all touch-points with the District,” says Corien Speaker, the District’s chief administrative officer. “It’s a culture shift, and one that I strongly believe in. Our goal is to inject fun into our work, ultimately resulting in better community relations and improved customer service.”

The District’s strategy was to: build a user-focused web experience that would position Squamish.ca as a meaningful information hub for the community; create a navigation system for site visitors to get the information they need quickly; launch a mobile experience that would serve the digital needs of the District moving forward; and improve the ease of updating content to ensure the site remains fresh.

Following a public Request For Proposals, the District chose Pound & Grain Digital Inc., a digital creative agency that creates experiences, builds brands and products, to bring the strategy to life.

“Our vision for Squamish's virtual Municipal Hall was designed to instill ‘pride of place’ among residents,” says Jackson Murphy, Pound & Grain Digital Inc.’s creative director. “We set out to create a signature vibrant and irreverent look that struck a balance between the dynamic place that Squamish is without being too corporate. The site’s illustrated feel is designed to give the District a true canvas to show off the natural beauty of the area through photography that can literally leap off the screen.” 

The website will continue to evolve over the coming weeks. The site has been built on a new Content Management System, which provides the technical platform from which to build. Ongoing work will continue to add increased functionality and interaction to continually improve the level of service that the District provides.

Please tell us what you think via the Contact & Feedback page. Please also let us know if you notice anything that needs correcting. Thank you!

November 16, 2012