Heart of the City
Promoting and activating the heart of Auckland
Since 2011 Sparks have provided digital services to Auckland’s iconic Heart of the City destination marketing platform. In 2013, we rebuilt the consumer site including a new responsive front end and a revamped content architecture. In 2015, we redesigned their ‘Where Next?’ app for iOS and Android and then moved the publishing for that to a web app platform. In 2019 we redeveloped the site into the current interaction and in 2024 are completing the Drupal 10 upgrade. Each year, 4 major campaigns are rolled out online, and we work with Heart of the City to plan content strategy and online campaign assets.
Sector
Scope
User experience
User interface
Design
Content management
Build
Content migration
Support
Search optimisation
WHAT WE DID
More recently a major redesign of the site responded to user feedback requesting more photos, more video, and more stories about what is new and interesting in the city centre. A component based design system was put in place, along with a page layout builder allowing editors to add galleries, slideshows, keyword driven carousels and interactive elements anywhere on the page.
The site is extremely SEO efficient, using on site metadata controls to expose content and create a search destination that consistently ranks top in key searches. The site excels in the mobile experience, with interactive image galleries and easy to scan content.
While browsing the site users can save favourite listings against their user profile or share listings using social media. Detailed work was required to allow WAF caching for pages that use a great deal of dynamic features for filtering and saving site content, including for anonymous users.
The site has over 4000 pages, including directory listings, editorial articles and promotional campaigns.
Campaign activity includes keyword driven landing pages, experience or neighbourhood microsites (for example showcasing the shops and venues in the High Street precinct) and an interactive mapping element which supports the exploration of content by location and proximity.
If you need a clean, modern website design that engages both head and heart then talk to us. We can talk you through the creative process of bringing an iconic brand to life online, and Hayden would be more than happy to discuss how to make a content managed site that works for marketers and engages with your audience.
Hayden Judd, Senior Producer
[email protected]