WordPress Web Design

Semaphore Hill Community Garden (fictitious) required a website to attract more people to the site. A target audience was not provided, and I was required to research which audience the website would best cater to. The use of WordPress was mandatory for this project, as was responsive design for all screens. The site also needed to include a minimum of five pages including a Google map for location (as it is a fictional service, any location in Adelaide could be chosen).

During the research phase, I found that 20 to 39 year olds make up almost half of Greater Adelaide's population. This demographic has also taken up gardening in recent years due to social media influences and the positive effects on mental and physical health. To cement this demographic as the target audience, I found that many 20 to 39 year olds have been priced out of the housing market and therefore settle for apartment living with no space for a garden.

I began the design of the site with some competitor research, then moved into wireframes in Figma. Next came the colour scheme. I'd been given a logo I was allowed to alter if needed, so I started by colour picking straight from it, only to find most of those combinations failed an accessibility check. A few small tweaks later, they passed.

During this process I found the logo to be too busy which could end up causing overwhelm for visitors. So I redesigned it with rounded edges and white space, creating a modern and professional look.

It was then time to transform the wireframes into a website with WordPress. With the assistance of a theme and several plugins, I was able to create a reasonably polished website, complete with body copy, sourced imagery, SEO, and accessibility checks in just a few weeks. I also added custom CSS in a few areas for distinction.