About the Project
Overview: Enhancing AIA Arizona’s Digital Presence for Architects in Arizona
AIA Arizona, the state’s premier professional association for architects, turned to Stratifi for a website redesign to better serve their members and enhance their digital presence. Building on the success of our work with AIA Chicago, we developed a modern, intuitive platform that reflects the organization’s commitment to advancing the architectural profession in Arizona. The new website features a streamlined design, improved navigation, and dynamic content to support AIA Arizona’s events, education programs, and member resources. With a focus on user experience, we’ve made it easier for visitors to access valuable information, stay engaged, and connect with the local architecture community.
AIA Arizona’s Challenge: An Association Website That Didn’t Reflect their Growing Reach
AIA Arizona faced the challenge of creating a digital presence that aligned with their mission to support architects across the state. Their previous website was outdated, lacked clear navigation, and failed to support the needs of their diverse members and visitors. The organization needed a modern, scalable platform that would not only improve functionality but also enhance credibility, support member engagement, and enable future growth.
A User-Centered Website with Custom Functionality Tailored for Member Organizations
Stratifi Creative partnered with AIA Arizona to redesign their website with the goal of increasing engagement, improving member interactions, and enhancing overall user experience. We integrated custom content management tools and a clean, intuitive design that reflects AIA Arizona’s mission and values. This solution streamlined key functions like event registration, membership management, and resource access, all while maintaining a cohesive visual identity aligned with the AIA’s national framework.
Creating a Distinct AIA Arizona Brand Within a National Organization’s Framework
The AIA Arizona website stands apart from other AIA chapter sites, functioning as a subtle yet meaningful brand identity that’s uniquely borne from Arizona’s vistas. Our focus was to make AIA Arizona stand out without breaking brand alignment, and capitalize on strong design and functionality. This balance demonstrates how, even within a larger national brand framework, individual chapters can express their unique identity.
A Multi-Homepage Website Strategy for Regional AIA Chapters
The AIA Arizona website embraces a forward-thinking, audience-centric architecture that reflects the organization’s statewide reach and mission. Instead of funneling all users through a singular homepage, the site uses three distinct “home” experiences: the overarching AIA Arizona homepage and dedicated hubs for AIA Phoenix Metro and AIA Southern Arizona. Each of these serves as a semi-independent gateway tailored to the specific needs, events, and communities of architects and design professionals within those regions, while maintaining AIA Arizona’s strong visual identity.
Custom Post Types for Scalable Content Management
It was key to the AIA Arizona team that they had the tools needed to make updates to valuable pages without compromising on design. Our team leveraged Custom Post Types (CPTs) to empower AIA staff with a full suite of back-end content management tools. Key content areas like Events, Awards, Committees, and Job Listings are structured to be easily created, updated, and maintained without sweating design. Each CPT is configured with built-in categorization and tagging that enables staff to organize according to their workflow. On the front end, this structure provides a smoother, consistent user experience that includes searchability.
Custom Alert Banner for Time-Sensitive Messaging
The homepage features a custom-built alert banner designed to give AIA staff quick, flexible control over high-priority messaging. Easily toggled on or off from the backend, this tool allows staff to highlight time-sensitive updates, upcoming events, deadlines, or key calls to action without developer support. The alert can optionally include a linked button, making it simple to drive users to important pages or external resources. This lightweight yet powerful feature ensures critical information remains visible and actionable, while preserving the overall design integrity of the site.
Final Outcome: A Flexible, Future-Ready Digital Platform
AIA Arizona’s previous website did not reflect the growing scale of the organization or its regional chapters. It lacked the necessary features to engage their diverse audience, making it difficult for members to interact with the content and for the organization to increase its digital visibility.
The redesigned AIA Arizona website delivers a flexible, future-ready digital platform that supports the organization’s statewide mission while celebrating its regional identity. By pairing thoughtful user experience design with scalable content management tools, the site empowers staff, engages members, and creates meaningful connections across Arizona’s architecture community.
Since launching the new site, AIA Arizona reported new sponsorship partners. For the first time, companies that AIA Arizona had never worked with reached out to offer financial sponsorships. This increase in outreach has been directly attributed to the new website and its professional, high-quality presentation of AIA Arizona’s work and impact.
Ready to Transform Your Nonprofit or Association’s Website and Digital Presence?
The redesigned AIA Arizona website is a powerful example of how strategic design can enhance user engagement and elevate an organization’s credibility. If your organization is ready to embrace a digital transformation that reflects your values and supports your mission, contact Stratifi Creative today to get started.
get started
