Proven partnered with WITF, a public media organization in Pennsylvania and member station of both PBS and NPR, to drive a comprehensive digital transformation of their multibrand publishing platform. Our team of experts modernized their web infrastructure and streamlined user experience across their properties — including WITF, Transforming Health, and StateImpact Pennsylvania. By developing a single, accessible platform for all users, we ensured that everyone, from reporters to content providers, could engage with their digital tools more smoothly and efficiently. This statewide media initiative redefined digital interactions, making them seamless and user-friendly for everyone involved.
A Seamless Solution For Scalable Growth
WITF and its properties had grown organically over time, but their initial site infrastructure was not built with scalability in mind. As a result, business users were struggling to work with an outdated CMS. Each had multiple logins across multiple websites, which slowed editorial efforts and impeded effective information sharing. Our mission was to consolidate their many submission portals into a single, seamless content management hub.
User First Research
Our strategy was devised from comprehensive research and analysis of existing user habits, preferences, and requirements. We identified the specific pain points faced by various content creators, ranging from technical difficulties to workflow inefficiencies. This deep understanding was pivotal in crafting a solution that resonated with the users’ level of engagement and ensured a smooth transition to the new system.
We employed a headless CMS, crafted with WITF’s users in mind, to streamline the content production and publishing process. Our team led with usability and worked to ensure this headless CMS would allow even the most non-technical users to create and edit content independently through a single point of entry. Using customized permissions, authors and editors now have the ability to publish content on specific front-end sites of their choosing.
Mindful Migration, Consolidated Infrastructure
One of the most significant aspects of our project was the migration of thousands of content pieces from four different systems — including a combination of Movable Type and WordPress sites — into a new, custom-built platform. This consolidation not only unified WITF’s digital assets but also ensured data integrity and accessibility.
Enhancing UX Across Platforms
The newly implemented CMS was designed to account for various website customizations and to accommodate users’ diverse methods of content consumption and submission. By leveraging custom queries, we enabled dynamic content display based on different parameters such as taxonomy or timeline, enhancing the overall user experience.
Scalable Content Warehouse
Our final product was a versatile content warehouse that serves multiple individual properties, built to adapt to WITF’s growing needs. The system included custom REST API endpoints and caching mechanisms to ensure swift content delivery and optimal performance. This architecture supports future scalability and flexibility, aligning with WITF’s long-term strategy and goals.
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