Need to Know
- The Osage Nation website upgrades required a significant overhaul and inventory of existing modules.
- The content and navigation had to serve the needs of multiple external and internal audiences.
- The new digital experience features complete adherence to accessibility standards and local, state, federal, and Osage Nation codes with comparable functionality to the legacy site.
The Brief
With Drupal 7 nearing its end-of-life state, Osage Nation required Northern to redevelop and migrate its website to Drupal 9.
The Client
Osage Nation is a federally-recognized Native American government headquartered in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
The Challenge
The Osage Nation website redevelopment would include a significant overhaul and inventory of existing modules as their compatibility with the recently released Drupal 9 platform remained uncertain. In addition, site content and navigation had to successfully serve multiple external and internal audiences and complement the client’s new government and services portal. The new site would feature a fresh and modern design, with comparable functionality to the legacy site and complete adherence to accessibility standards and local, state, federal, and Osage Nation codes. At once both a cultural hub and government information platform, the new digital experience would educate newcomers and support the cultural heritage of the Osage Nation.
The Strategy
Northern Commerce collaborated with Osage Nation to create a new digital experience using Drupal 8, focused on community, culture, and heritage. Cultural imagery and identity are thoughtfully integrated into the site’s design, paying homage to cultural heritage in a respectful and engaging way.
Northern addressed the need for clean and clear information architecture that includes fresh new navigation (validated by a tree test exercise) and other information architecture tactics like calls to action (CTAs) and improved search. A landing page modal unites multiple web experiences and provides end users a high-level navigation to Community, Culture, and Language; the Visitors, Government, and Services Portal; and the Museum site.
Northern recognized a significant disconnect between user goals on the .gov site and Osage Nation’s goal to create a culture, language, and community-focused site in this same digital space. The content strategy balanced the needs of stakeholders by creating intuitive pathways to ensure users are directed to relevant content while being presented with opportunities to explore other digital content areas.