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Association of Clinical Research Professionals
Offering the best in clinical research on a global scale.
T
he Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) is a DC-based nonprofit organization that supplies clinical research solutions, membership, trainings, and certifications to a network of over 13,000 professionals from around the world. WDG partnered with ACRP to give the association a streamlined information architecture with federated search from Swiftype.
Project Mission
Because many of ACRP’s resources and product offerings are digital, the organization required a robust online portal to achieve valuable mission objectives and meet key performance indicators (KPI’s).What We Did
Leveraging our extensive experience working with associations and foundations of every scale, WDG partnered with ACRP to employ complex search functionalities and help build a performant website on WordPress with a redesigned information architecture.
Designing for a Refreshed Brand
As ACRP redesigned their brand during the initial phases of their partnership with WDG, our design team also carefully incorporated their updated logo, iconography, typography, and sophisticated color scheme into the final product to portray the integrity of the new brand.
Improving Search Functionality
WDG developers employed Swiftype as a federated search integration to allow users to search resources from multiple properties based on keyword relevance and chronology. With the ability to create custom settings, results could be filtered based on multiple facets, such as content type. We also built a specific “filter history” search functionality and customizable search parameters for ACRP admins which could be fitted to analytic data. Further, Swiftype offers the ability to edit search result abstracts to best illustrate internal content and help drive SEO.
I look to build relationships with the partnerships we have with other companies and not just think of them as a vendor. WDG’s staff was very knowledgeable and they understood exactly what we needed.
Driving Value for Members
The homepage design was built to be highly informational, created with flexible layouts for ease of administration. To incentivize recurring site visits, ACRP needed to be able to update information, news, events, research findings, and more in real-time. The design creates easy access pathways towards certifications for all members, as well as prominently portrays the intrinsic value of membership.
Developing a Robust Resource Center with Swiftype
One of the largest components of the ACRP website redesign was the creation and implementation of a robust resource center. With a dynamic selection of white papers, e-learning tools, trainings, reports, articles, and more, mass content and accessibility were vital concerns in the new site structure. WDG strategists began by reorganizing and hierarchically categorizing their content structure within a new information architecture (IA). With three different tiers of content types and 7 separate site properties, content needed to be appropriately organized for a variety of target audiences. By using Swiftype to support a streamlined resource center, the clear and intuitive search function now offers a clean user interface while maintaining high-performant, complex capabilities.
Ensuring Performant Success
Another large component tackled by the WDG development team was the integration of the ACRP Association Management Software (or AMS). To ensure site security for ACRP’s multiple properties, WDG’s team implemented a single sign-on solution. We integrated WordPress with netFORUM, ACRP’s AMS, so that once a member logs into one site, they have access to all the associated sites without separate logins. Additionally, content on WordPress can be restricted to certain users, such as those with an active membership or specific certification. We further ensured continued success by hosting the site on BlackMesh, a powerful WDG Hosting partner with high performant capabilities.
