SKOUHUS & BOMBELLI (S&B) was commissioned with the concept and design of the new website for the city of Lucerne.
The aim of the new website is to optimise the user-friendliness, improve the navigation structure as well as to introduce e-government functionalities (online forms for registration, payment, bookings etc.). The merging of Lucerne-Littau was also a reason for the new website – as of January 1st 2010 all processes will be transacted through the municipal portal.
Online survey & workshop
To determine the structural and visual requirements from the different departments S&B carried out a workshop with 24 participants. Prior to the workshop all attendees were asked to fill out an online survey. The outcome of the survey was presented and discussed in the workshop. The results of the workshop served as the foundation for the creative concept.
Concept
The new website sets the tone. S&B consciously refrained from creating a touristic design; the city of Lucerne should be portrayed authentic and real. Functions and user-friendliness was the centre of attention. As the primary design element we repeatedly inserted the city wall battlement (extracted from the municipal corporate design). Individual topics are colour-coordinated to enhance the recognition factor and to ease the orientation for returning visitors. The dark gray areas amplify the selected colours and images. With increasing information the grey areas give way to the main content. In this manner we visually distinguish between the natures of the content (navigation/text) and conduct the focus of the observer.
Prototyping
The design phase was closed with a prototype where navigation, structure and page reproduction was tested.
Image concept
The implemented image language supplement the respective colour climate and represent, topic related, the daily city routine. The city is depicted from the perspective of the citizens and demonstrates a real environment.
Photography by: Heinz Dahinden (sguardo fotografie, Luzern).
Documentation
S&B created a comprehensive documentation for the technical realisation. The implementation was additionally accompanied by controlling.
Technical realisation
The company Innovative Web AG from Zürich carries out the technical realisation and hosting.