Simons Group gives CFHC Web site a grown-up, sophisticated makeover
Chicago Family Health Center (CFHC) has been providing medical and dental services to residents of the city’s south side for 30 years, but when it came to the Internet, the organization was in its infancy.
Former managers worked with The Simons Group to develop the first CFHC Web site about five years ago, but new management realized it was time for an upgrade and expansion.
“We needed to show people we were changing,” says Barbara Tieder, director of communications and external affairs. “We had just gone through a name change, and we wanted to distance ourselves from our old name and logo, but we also wanted to add content. The old site reflected where we were at the time, but we were ready for a more sophisticated presence on the Internet.”
Tieder’s goal was to have a Web site that was informational not only for CFHC patients and funders — the two primary target audiences — but also for the general public. In addition, she wanted the site to have a look and feel that reflected CFHC’s values as well as its services.
The problem was that although CFHC executives recognized the value and presence a well-designed Web site can bring to any organization, they didn’t have the time or the expertise to build one. They wanted to get the redesign finished as quickly as possible, to speed their rebranding efforts and maintain a consistent presence in the community. Having worked with The Simons Group before, they knew where to turn.
“We knew what The Simons Group could deliver,” says Tieder. “Their price was the best, but I could have justified paying more if I’d felt we should. It was a matter of having a huge comfort level with The Simons Group. We felt we’d built a relationship that we needed to maintain.”
The first step in the redesign was for Tieder to meet with Lee Simons, president of The Simons Group. When the meeting was over, Tieder’s vision for the site was clear. It was time for the writers and designers at The Simons Group to make it a reality.
The Simons Group’s writers produced copy that communicated precisely the right message, while designers began mapping out the look and feel the site would convey. The process was practically painless, Tieder says.
“The Simons Group creative team took our half-formed ideas and turned them around quickly,” she says. “I’d communicate what I needed, and I’d have the exactly the end product I was looking for — even if that wasn’t necessarily what I’d communicated.”
Tieder and The Simons Group team quickly established a collaborative working relationship that allowed Tieder to devote most of her energy to other responsibilities.
“I’m a department of one,” she says. “So I’m doing fund-raising, communications, business development and attracting vendors. I would have liked to have been able to devote more time to the Web site, but I didn’t feel I had to. The Simons Group got things done, and they were reminding me about deadlines.”
Quick turnarounds, excellent communication and constant collaboration eased the process.
“If I wanted something changed, the response was usually ‘yes.’ And it got done immediately,” Tieder says. “I never heard just ‘no.’ If something couldn’t — or shouldn’t — be done, they’d take the time to explain why, and offer alternatives. It made the whole technical and creative process easy, even for a non-computer person like me.”
Today, the CFHC Web site is information-rich, easy to navigate and an accurate representation of the center’s operations.
“It’s easy for people to find what they’re looking for, it has cool images, and I love that we changed to blue — it’s soothing,” says Tieder. “We got exactly what we needed to have for our general audience. Now when people call us, they know who we are.”
For more information about how to justify your publications, contact Lee Simons at 312-252-8900 or lsimons@thesimonsgroup.com.
