Nonprofit portfolio Archives

Identifying Usability Problems. Developing Effective Websites.

Posted on March 12, 2023April 1, 2023

A recently redesigned website for Henry M Jackson Foundation, a Seattle-based nonprofit diversifying and democratizing public policy by broadening access to public policy graduate study programs; and encouraging young legislators to build relationships across party lines through cross-partisan dialogue, debate, and action.

Despite using a WordPress-approved Theme, the foundation’s previous mobile site speed was sluggish, primarily due too excessive number of Plugins and associated Javascript. Our goal was to improve benchmark performance, while modernizing the brand identity and improving ease of use.

Scope of Work

Accessibility Consulting
Performance Optimization
Visual Design
WordPress Theme Development
WordPress Training & Consulting

Performance

Mobile page load speed was improved significantly by reducing web server requests 66%, from 102 to 35 and by reducing overall page size 54%, from 1.196 Mb to 551 Kb.

Accessibility

Improvements include higher contrast colors to better adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) color contrast ratio guidelines; increased font sizes; increased vertical rhythm; a navigation skip link; and text links with 2 visual indicators.

Before & After Performance Comparison

Performance Metric	old website	New Website
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility	94/100	100/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices	83/100	92/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed	56/100	88/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed	97/100	98/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization	93/100	92/100
WebPageTest Speed Index	4.036	3.318
Total Homepage File Size	1.196 Mb (636 Kb Images + 253 Kb Scripts + 145 Kb CSS + 177 Kb Fonts + 13 Kb HTML)	551 Kb (317 Kb Images + 113 Kb Scripts + 106 Kb CSS + 16 Kb Fonts + 12 Kb HTML)
Total Web Server Requests	102 (7 Images + 47 Scripts + 41 CSS + 4 Font + 2 Other + 1 HTML)	35 (5 Images + 11 Scripts + 14 CSS + 2 Fonts + 2 Other + 1 HTML)
Estimated Mobile Homepage Load Time	~4 seconds	~3.3 seconds

WebPage Test Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2022, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.

Site Credits

Visual Design: Erik Fadiman
WordPress Theme Development: Scott Marlow

Sitecore to WordPress CMS Migration

Posted on December 19, 2022February 2, 2023

Committed to Accessible WordPress Websites for Nonprofits

This project involved cloning the existing Seattle Foundation visual layout and design from a website powered by Sitecore into a new more accessible, performance-optimized site powered by a WordPress Content Management System.

Foundation staff wanted a CMS that was simpler and easier to maintain. Project challenges included poorly structured Sitecore-exported XML data files, a low contrast color palette, and a short timeline. Content management was the primary dependency for the new website launch, since hundreds of posts needed to be migrated.

The site is working great! We love it and you did a fantastic job.
Jason Jystad, IT Operations Director

Scope of Work

Accessibility Consulting
Database Content Migration
Performance Optimization
WordPress Theme Development

Performance

Mobile speed index improved 69%, from ~9.5 to 2.5 seconds [source: WebPageTest]. This was achieved by reducing overall homepage size 89% – from 5.7 Mb to 639 Kb, and significantly reducing Javascript 95% – from 2.2 Mb to 112 Kb. Overall, web server requests, the primary contributor to slow page loads, decreased 49%. Finally, DNS management was moved to a Cloudflare CDN for better performance, redundancy and security.

Accessibility

Improvements include higher contrast colors to better adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG); increased font sizes; a navigation skip link; and removal of auto-rotating content sliders.

Before & After Performance Comparison

Performance Metric	former Sitecore CMS homepage (Nov 2022)	New WordPress homepage (December 2022)
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility	87/100	100/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices	75/100	92/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed	46/100	79/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed	60/100	99/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization	83/100	93/100
WebPageTest Speed Index	9.468	2.473
Total Homepage File Size	5.733 Mb (3.01 Mb Images + 2.2 Mb Scripts + 398Kb CSS + 162 Kb Fonts + 67 Kb HTML)	639 Kb (302 Kb Images + 112 Kb Scripts + 69 Kb CSS + 150 Kb Fonts + 21 Kb HTML)
Total Web Server Requests	59 (24 Images + 19 Scripts + 8 CSS + 7 Other + 1 HTML)	30 (8 Images + 3 Scripts + 9 CSS + 3 Other + 1 HTML)
Approximate Homepage Load Time (mobile)	~9.5 seconds	~2.5 seconds

WebPage Test Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2021, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.

Seattle Foundation manages over $1 billion in philanthropic investments. 2022 marks the 1-year anniversary of the Foundation’s REPAIR initiative (Racially Equitable Philanthropy Aimed at Initiating Relationships), with a minimum investment of $25 million to Black-led organizations around Seattle; and its Center for Community Partnerships striving to achieve greater racial and economic equity in the region. The Foundation also incubated SkillUp Washington – a workforce funders collaborative connecting employers, post-secondary training and low-income adults.

WordPress Theme Development: Scott Marlow

Developing Outstanding WordPress Websites for 12 years

Posted on September 14, 2022February 2, 2023

Presenting my latest website overhaul for Early Music Seattle, a nonprofit presenting classic concerts at venues around the city – including Benaroya Hall, Bastyr University Chapel, Federal Way Community Performing Arts Center, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, and Town Hall.

This project involved converting a custom-built WordPress Theme and migrating content into a new performance-optimized Theme (_Underscores). The Block Editor was integrated for more robust layout and styling. Accessibility improvements included higher contrast colors, navigation skip links, keyboard accessible menus, and mobile-clickable phone numbers. A new branded event calendar was also integrated, with the ability for community organizations to submit third-party events. By reducing server requests 45% and reducing page size 85%, page load speed now ranks in the upper 10^th percentile of sites.

Scope of Work

Accessibility consulting
Content migration
Performance optimization
Security hardening
WordPress training & consulting

Site Statistics

Performance Metric	Old Website	New Website (September 2022)
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility	79/100	100/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices	67/100	92/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed	62/100	90/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed	89/100	95/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization	83/100	100/100
WebPageTest Speed Index	4.426	2.804
Total Homepage File Size	2.1 Mb ( 1.36 Mb Images + 574 Kb Scripts + 156 Kb CSS + Kb HTML)	323 Kb (169 Kb Images + 57 Kb Scripts + 45 Kb CSS + 43 Kb Fonts + 18 Kb HTML)
Total Web Server Requests	64 (22 Images + 29 Scripts + 11 CSS + 5 Other + 2 HTML)	35 (7 Images + 11 Scripts + 13 CSS + 3 Font + 1 HTML)
Total Homepage Load Time	~4.4 seconds	~2.8 seconds

Photography: EMS staff, volunteers and Scribe Music
Videography: Markdavin Obenza: Scribe Music
Visual Design: Amy Tullis
WordPress Theme Development: Scott Marlow

Building WordPress Websites with Equity and Accessibility in Mind

Posted on July 13, 2022February 2, 2023

Sometimes a website with reasonable benchmarks can still perform poorly. This dental foundation website is a perfect example. The former site’s 2.2 Mb page size was well within the industry median; and 84 server requests is above optimum, but certainly not atrocious. Still, migrating from a custom-coded Theme to a WordPress-approved Theme (_Underscores) significantly improved perceived page load speed, despite server requests increasing and page size decreasing nominally.

Benchmark Analysis

Performance Metric	Old Website	New Website
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility	95/100	100/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices	92/100	100/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed	31/100	73/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed	81/100	91/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization	80/100	83/100
WebPageTest Speed Index	7.309	1.926
Total Homepage File Size	2.2 Mb ( 1.36 Mb Images + 574 Kb Scripts + 156 Kb CSS + 110 Kb HTML)	1.7 Mb (1.28 Mb Images + 295 Kb Scripts + 63 Kb CSS + Kb Fonts + 124 Kb HTML)
Total Web Server Requests	84 (25 Images + 32 Scripts + 16 CSS + 11 Other + 1 HTML)	92 (64 Images + 15 Scripts + 8 CSS + 3 Other + 2 HTML)
Estimated Mobile Homepage Load Time	~7.3 seconds	~ 1.9 seconds

WebPage Test Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2021, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.

Scope of Work

Accessibility auditing, consulting and remediation
Performance optimization
Security hardening
WordPress training & consulting

Web Design + Development Team

Visual Design by David Owen Hastings
WordPress Theme Development by Scott Marlow

Proven WordPress Websites that Nonprofits Love!

Posted on May 6, 2022September 16, 2022

Sound Generations’ Project Enhance provides licensing, training and assistance for two nationally recognized evidence-based programs: Enhance^®Fitness and Enhance^®Wellness.

The new Project Enhance WordPress site features an integrated members-only content area for fitness instructors and affiliates across 43 states. Benchmarks across all measurable areas have improved significantly. Overall page size has reduced 93% from 6.5 Mb to < 500 Kb; web server requests have reduced 69% from 59 to 18. These improvements result in page load speeds less than 3 seconds.

Site Statistics

Performance Metric	Old (Divi) WordPress Theme	New Custom-Branded WordPress Theme
Google Lighthouse: Accessibility	88/100	100/100
Google Lighthouse: Best Practices	75/100	92/100
Google Lighthouse: Mobile Speed	47/100	96/100
Google Lighthouse: Desktop Speed	64/100	99/100
Google Lighthouse: Search Engine Optimization	82/100	90/100
WebPageTest Speed Index	6.121	2.008
Homepage File Size	6.46 Mb (6.06 Mb Images + 205 Kb Scripts + 239 Kb CSS +100 Kb Fonts + Kb HTML)	484 Kb (302 Kb Images + 3 Kb Scripts + 33 Kb CSS + 149 Kb Fonts + 8 Kb HTML)
Web Server Requests	59 (16 Images + 17 Scripts + 19 CSS + 5 Fonts + 2 HTML)	18 (7 Images + 2 Scripts + 6 CSS + 2 Fonts + 1 HTML)
Homepage Load Time	~6.1 seconds	~2 seconds

WebPage Test Speed Index: median = ~3.591; top 10% = <1.388
In 2021, the average page size = ~2.4 Mb and median page size = ~2.1 Mb.
Database-driven websites, like WordPress, are more performance optimized when server requests are < 40 – 60.

Other site updates and improvements include:

More readable content with font sizes > 16 pixels and reduced line widths; keyboard-navigable menu with skip to content link for screen readers; custom-branded browser favicon; improved security, including bruteforce protection.

Project Enhance is a collaboration between Sound Generations, University of Washington and Group Health Cooperative (now Kaiser Permanente).