Fresh Look for ICPDR.ORG: Get Ready to Dive In!
The official website of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, www.icpdr.org, has undergone a complete makeover. Over the years, our website has grown in content, making navigation increasingly challenging. Our new design not only enhances accessibility through intuitive navigation but also adheres to cutting-edge usability standards.
The ICPDR has been using www.icpdr.org as its primary online outreach tool since the Secretariat's establishment in 1999. Major design and system software upgrades were carried out in 2005 and lastly in 2012. It is now time for a fresh, user-centric and responsive design. The redesign aims to enhance users' ability to find the right information amidst the ever-growing content on the ICPDR website.
As a modern website, ICPDR.org now automatically adapts its layout and functionality to the visitor's device, ensuring ease of reading and navigation, whether you're on a mobile touch phone or a computer with a mouse, keyboard, and a high-resolution screen. Site statistics have revealed that an increasing number of users - currently nearly 30% - access our site through mobile operating systems. This trend aligns with the ICPDR's expanding presence on social media channels, predominantly accessed via mobile devices.
Improvements in Accessibility Features
The site has been meticulously designed to ensure usability for people with disabilities. It is compatible with adaptive technologies including screen readers and text-only web browsers. The entire website can be viewed in a high-contrast version. Read more about it in our Accessibility Statement.
Enhanced Site Map and Navigation Paths
We've revamped the site's structure, cleaned up navigation menus and improved the site-wide search features. News articles, press releases, publications, documents and other downloads are presented in the related content sections and are easily accessible in the “Library” – which is now also searchable. Filterable search results make it simpler for the visitor to find relevant content.
A Modern Visual Design
The website's design prioritizes website content and readability, adhering to modern web standards also embodying the ICPDR's corporate identity. The colour coding for content categories engage the user, delivering a visually pleasing experience.
Joint effort
The relaunch of icpdr.org was shaped through a year-long collaboration involving the Public Participation Expert Group (PP EG), overseeing all ICPDR public engagement activities, as well as information management and communication experts within the ICPDR Secretariat. Additionally, the entire Secretariat team played an integral role in assessing and updating the content and rigorously testing the website's functionality.
The responsible agency, LMP Visuelle Kommunikation, based in Vienna, was selected through a rigorous tender process involving six agencies. LMP brings a wealth of experience to the table, particularly in crafting websites for the public sector, designed with stringent usability standards in mind, thus catering comprehensively to visually impaired and differently-abled individuals. In their design, LMP, masterfully achieved equilibrium between our two core user groups. On one side, specialists seeking exhaustive technical insights, and on the other, the general public in pursuit of accessible information presented through intuitive navigation.
On the technical front, EOR Digital, also based in Vienna, played a pivotal role in our relaunch initiative. They are recognized specialists in web development and the open-source Content Management System (CMS) Drupal. Their expertise facilitated the implementation of the website and the seamless migration of our extensive content to the new site structure, representing a monumental undertaking.
The result of this diligent joint effort is the website you are currently experiencing.
The ICPDR wishes you a Happy Browsing Experience!
