National Constitution Center
Beaconfire partnered with Free Range Graphics to redesign
the National Constitution Center's (NCC) public Web presence and to add
sophisticated technology solutions in advance of the Philadelphia museum's
opening in July 2003. The task of building a site of this magnitude was a
challenge for NCC as they prepared to open the world's first museum dedicated to
increasing public understanding of, and appreciation for, the Constitution of
the United States. Beaconfire coordinated the efforts of multiple vendors to
produce a cohesive site.
The Challenge: NCC had recently undergone a diligent process to define the organization's functional needs for the Web site and to identify a Content Management System (CMS) to serve as the site's backbone. However, the CMS could not provide all the functionality the organization required without additional customization. In addition, as an entirely new museum, NCC was challenged by low brand recognition. NCC needed a partner who could provide product and services recommendations to fill the gaps not served by the CMS and help them develop the high-quality creative and integrated marketing needed to complete the site. Given the many vendors in the mix (PR firms, product vendors, and ad agencies), it was critical that NCC find partners who could organize the diverse team. Based on these criteria, NCC selected Beaconfire and Free Range Graphics, a Washington, DC-based design firm.
The Solution: Beaconfire led NCC through functional, design, implementation, development, and marketing challenges. Beaconfire identified gaps in desired functionality, worked with NCC to help fill these gaps with third-party tools and custom development, and helped integrate the separate pieces into one cohesive system. In coordination with Beaconfire, Free Range led the development of a new creative look for the site and developed a two-stage usability test for the design and navigation.
The complete solution for the NCC Web site developed in conjunction with dedicated internal teams spans content management (CrownPeak's Advantage CMS), email marketing, and community-building tools. Beaconfire's project management expertise provided essential project coordination, which was critical due to the multiple vendors involved. The site also incorporates NCC's existing online donations (Blackbaud) and online ticketing system. A Marketing Action Plan was developed by Beaconfire to integrate the site with NCC's offline marketing activities and generate maximum traffic using multiple tactics (search engine optimization, banner placements, email marketing). The plan also laid the foundation for NCC's online fundraising campaigns.
Beaconfire and FreeRange are currently engaged with NCC for the development of the
Interactive Constitution. This e-learning tool based upon Linda R. Monk's
groundbreaking book The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the
Constitution will enable people to interactively explore how the U.S.
Constitution relates to modern-day issues and leaders as well as historical
events and figures. The Interactive Constitution will be prominently featured at
museum kiosks, as well as on the NCC Web site.