Case Study

The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) is a municipal corporation in Seattle, Washington, whose mission is to create and sustain living environments for people with low incomes. Their website provides information to residents and those seeking assistance, as well as developers, landlords and the Seattle community.

SHA contacted Pixels2Print, requesting a site redesign. Their site was in frames, was difficult to navigate and presented its content within a stiff, corporate atmosphere. SHA wanted to soften the mood of the site and make it a warm, inviting place to visit while at the same time, maintain their professional tone. Their site is accessed by both old and new browsers and low and high resolutions. They anticipate that their website will grow, so requested a flexible navigation system. Pixels2Print contacted us to provide a masthead and navigation system that would establish the tone and function of the site.

Cross-browser compatibility, a web-safe color pallette and very fast load times were paramount considerations. To address the challenge of flexible navigation, a navigation bar was designed to be used as a background for text links. Text links also facilited fast loading. We submitted several drafts for SHA review. Through close consultation, SHA chose a soft and subtle masthead that communicated warmth and set the inviting, professional tone they were looking for.

SHA was very pleased with their new masthead and navigation design. It is fast-loading and the colors degrade well on older systems. As their site expands they can add new sections very easily without hiring a designer or developer to do it for them. Genesis Box exceeded expectations and The SHA website has set a new standard for government websites.