City of Campbell River

The City of Campbell River identified that its existing website was no longer meeting community or staff needs. In the RFP, the City noted that the current site did not meet usability, scalability, or accessibility requirements, including compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA.

Additional challenges identified by the City included:

• Limited mobile responsiveness and inconsistent experiences across devices
• Information that was difficult to find, with ineffective search
• Performance limitations and difficulty scaling the platform over time
• Challenges for staff to update and manage content efficiently

Alongside these platform issues, the City’s content assessment identified concerns with content accessibility, quality, and navigation, reinforcing the need to address content structure and information architecture before redesign and development began.
 

Upanup partnered with the City of Campbell River through a phased approach designed to directly address the challenges outlined in the RFP — particularly around usability, accessibility, content management, and long-term scalability.
The engagement included three connected projects, intentionally sequenced to reduce risk and improve outcomes.

1. Website Replacement Assessment

Upanup first completed a Website Replacement Assessment to evaluate the City’s existing platform and confirm that a full redesign was the most effective path forward. The assessment also included an internal survey of stakeholders, an external survey of website users, and 10 user testing sessions, all to gather feedback on their current website and provide recommendations for a redesign. This assessment ultimately helped align internal stakeholders and clarify priorities before design or development began.

2. Content Services (Completed Before the Website Redesign Project)

Recognizing that content accessibility, quality, and navigation were core challenges identified in the RFP, the City undertook a dedicated Content Services project in advance of development. This phase included a content inventory and audit, a new sitemap, content rewrites, and the creation of a content governance strategy, all requiring significant internal effort from City staff.
While challenging, this work ensured that content decisions were made early — reducing rework, improving clarity, and supporting WCAG 2.2 AA compliance.

3. Website Redesign & Development

With content structure and priorities clearly defined, Upanup delivered a full website redesign and redevelopment focused on improved usability, accessibility, and performance.

What we delivered:

• Comprehensive sitemap audit, inventory, and content modeling with expert recommendations to improve navigation and findability
• Full website redesign and redevelopment with a custom design
• A service-oriented information architecture designed around how people look for City services
• Accessibility-first design and development aligned with WCAG 2.2 AA
• A responsive, scalable platform optimized for mobile, performance, and future growth

The City of Campbell River launched a modern, accessible website that directly addresses the challenges identified in the RFP.

Key outcomes include:

• Improved usability and findability, making it easier for people to locate information and services
• A fully responsive experience across desktop and mobile devices
• Stronger accessibility compliance, supporting inclusive access for all users
• A more scalable platform that supports future enhancements
• Improved content management workflows, reducing friction for staff and enabling faster updates
• Reduced project risk and rework by addressing content challenges early