Invest Barrie

Website replatform while meeting accessible standards

Invest Barrie is a vital resource for businesses of all sizes looking to establish or expand in Barrie, Ontario. The Invest Barrie website provides investors and businesses with key information, support services, and networking opportunities. Beyond resources, Invest Barrie builds relationships, supports local businesses through challenges, and celebrates their successes.
 
By connecting industry leaders, cultural influencers, and the community, Invest Barrie helps businesses thrive. With Barrie’s population projected to reach 298,000 by 2051, its digital resources must remain accessible, engaging, and reflective of the city’s growth and potential.
To align with the City of Barrie’s overarching digital strategy, the website required a significant redesign that prioritized accessibility, ease of navigation, and an engaging user experience.

Services Provided

  • Accessible Design
  • Website Design & Development
  • Website Improvements
  • Website Support
  • Drupal CMS Upgrade
  • Project Management

The Challenge

The City of Barrie engaged Upanup to rebuild its main municipal website in Drupal and sought to bring the City’s Invest Barrie site under the same Drupal content management system (CMS) for a cohesive and unified experience. The previous website had several limitations, including:
  • Lack of accessibility compliance, making it difficult for all users to interact with the site effectively.
  • Inconsistent design elements that did not fully align with the Invest Barrie brand.
  • A need for enhanced functionality to better showcase business and investment opportunities.
Upanup was tasked with developing a modern, accessible, and user-friendly website that maintained Invest Barrie's design preferences while significantly improving usability and accessibility.

The Solution

To ensure the new Invest Barrie website met the highest standards in accessibility and user experience, our team conducted an in-depth review of the existing website, identifying components that required modifications. Together, we developed a strategic approach to modernize the design while ensuring accessibility compliance. Key solutions included:
  • Enhanced Accessibility: Addressed existing accessibility gaps by adjusting design elements to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards while preserving Invest Barrie's visual identity.
  • Customized Design & Branding: Integrated a flexible page colour theme allowing department-specific branding, with options for pink, green, or blue themes applied dynamically across the site.
  • Dynamic and Engaging Visuals: Implemented pre-set background images for content and call-to-action (CTA) rows, ensuring a visually engaging experience while maintaining accessibility.
  • Interactive Elements: Introduced animated stat tiles supporting various numerical formats to highlight key economic and investment data.
  • Optimized User Experience: Implemented a two-column WYSIWYG content row for improved layout flexibility and a front-page video banner to create a dynamic first impression.
Screenshots of the What's New section of InvestBarrie.ca on desktop and mobile
Screenshots of InvestBarrie.ca on mobile, showing the colour themes

The Results

The redesigned Invest Barrie website launched successfully, delivering a significant improvement in usability, design consistency, and accessibility. The new site has resulted in:
  • Improved Accessibility Compliance: The site now meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards, ensuring a better experience for all users, including those with disabilities.
  • Stronger Brand Cohesion: The integration of customized colour themes and visual elements has aligned the website with the broader Barrie brand.
  • Enhanced User Engagement: Visitors can now easily find and interact with relevant business resources, investment opportunities, and economic data.
  • Positive Stakeholder Feedback: Business leaders, city officials, and investors have praised the site’s improved design, functionality, and ease of use.
It was a pleasure to collaborate with the Invest Barrie team to create a digital platform that truly reflects the city’s economic strength and future potential. The new Invest Barrie website stands as a modern, accessible, and engaging tool that will support Barrie’s continued economic growth for years to come.
Screenshots of InvestBarrie.ca on desktop and mobile, showing the Community Profile page with Key Highlights
Screenshot of InvestBarrie.ca showing the rows of content for cards and a quotation

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