Campfire focuses on citizens for the new website of the city of Biel

Finding the right contact person, checking what's on at the weekend, registering a move or ordering a long-term parking permit: The requirements of a city's website are as numerous and varied as its citizens themselves.

After more than a year of strategy, concept and design, the new website of the city of Biel is now online and allows the advantages of Biel to be better showcased. It is being continuously developed and improved on the basis of data.

Focus on people

In order to best meet the needs of the population, the platform was developed through numerous workshops, interviews and tests in close cooperation with the citizens of Biel/Bienne.

The entire navigation is now divided into three main sections: "Topics A-Z", "Politics & administration" and "Online counter". Most of the photos on the website have been specially created since the summer on the basis of the new image concept for the website - the focus here is also on the citizens of the city. More photos and videos will follow over the next few months to ensure that the website reflects the current development of the city as a central information channel. 

Mobile First

The design is also new: the website is bright, focused, contains lots of images and is adapted to all end devices. A navigation system was developed that works on smartphones, tablets and desktops.

To improve the quality of the new website, around 50 content managers from the various city administration services and the central translation service revised, corrected and supplemented over 800 pages in German and French. Around a quarter of these pages were completely redesigned and present topics and aspects of the city of Biel/Bienne in a more focused and user-friendly way and in a language that is easy to understand.

Think with data

The data-driven approach is also reflected in the implementation and optimization of the website. Different page types were designed for the various user requirements, which can be specifically optimized on the basis of data - after all, bounce rates and dwell time must be evaluated differently depending on the user's goal and task in context.

With the help of a feedback function, the teasing and evaluation of the most-read content and search terms, as well as conversion funnels for forms, the website can be focused and strategically expanded and optimized.

Accessibility

The new website has been checked by the "Access for All" foundation for user-friendliness and accessibility for people with disabilities. Further checks will follow successively. 

Based on interactive prototypes, the most important content, design, structure and functions were tested and optimized in usability tests with citizens of the city during the entire development phase from the initial concept to the final solution.

Digitization

The new website of the city of Biel also offers new online functions. These range from registering at a retirement home to ordering a service or buying a parking permit directly on the website. The "Online counter" section has been expanded and will continue to be updated with additional forms and services over the coming months.

Teamwork

The concept and design of the new website were created by the Campfire agency from Biel, which won the ideas competition held in fall 2017. In addition to the technical and content concept, the agency also developed the new user guidance, functions and visual language of the new website.

Following a call for tenders, the CMS solution GOViS from the company Backslash in Frauenfeld was chosen for the technical implementation.