About the Project
AIA Chicago, the local Chicago chapter of The American Institute of Architects, sought a creative team capable of developing a platform that’s facade matched the integrity of its centuries old institution and seamlessly handled dynamic content. The site’s modern design, intuitive menus, clear calls to action, and organized site structure made navigation across 40+ pages of critical information seamless for users including architects, designers, and allied professionals.
Custom Backend Development for a Content-Heavy Nonprofit Website
Functionality formed the backbone of the site’s architecture; Our team knew the importance of a robust backend to accomplish the needs of this fiercely active non-profit. This approach allowed the site to scale easily and remain flexible: rather than hand-coding each page, the system draws from easy-to-input content such as event listings and job postings to generate pages on the fly, whether it’s an event listing, job posting, community page, or staff page. As a result, the site delivers a consistently structured, polished experience across an array of content types and ensures that users all receive a seamless, consistent interface.
For AIA Chicago staff, this dynamic infrastructure unlocked major efficiencies. Content editors can publish, update or retire items (like events or job postings) without touching code or sweating page-by-page styling. Updates are centralized: change the data once, and the site reflects it everywhere automatically — saving countless hours compared to manually editing static HTML pages for every update.
What our clients are saying
“Chicago’s architects needed a website that reflected the highly technical and beautiful work they create across the world. Designing a website for designers, we needed a company that excelled in the quality of design and their technical abilities, and Stratifi met both of those needs. Our members are thrilled with a site that reflects them and the work they do.”
David Cordaro
Revenue-Driving Web Features: Job Board & Digital Advertising System
Key to the site’s functionality and mission funding, AIA Chicago’s job board allows for members to list their jobs in the industry while an ad system on the site allows for companies to advertise to architects. Both these features along with others generate income for the organization.
Experiential Design Beyond the Screen: 44-Foot Installation at 2022 Lerch Bates People’s Choice Award
We also created a 44′-wide wall installation for AIA Chicago to showcase the 2022 Lerch Bates People’s Choice Award winners and highlight their partners in the Chicago Architecture Center. The installation served as a backdrop for their 2022 Annual Holiday Party, providing an immersive and engaging experience for their members and visitors.
Our successful partnership with AIA Chicago is a testament to our commitment to excellence in design and customer satisfaction.
Connecting Chicago to the Right Architects
Building on AIA Chicago’s existing architect directory, we designed and developed a next-generation Finder experience that reimagines how users connect with firms. The platform transforms a traditional listing into a structured, searchable system built around how people actually look for an architect.
With keyword search, multi-layered filters, and clearly organized firm profiles, users can refine by typology, services, firm size, and key designations, all within a clean, intuitive interface. Each listing surfaces the most relevant information upfront, making it easy to compare firms, understand their expertise, and take the next step.
While developed as a standalone initiative, the Finder aligns with the broader system we created for AIA Chicago—where complex data is centralized, easy to manage, and built to scale. The result is a more powerful tool for discovery today, and a stronger foundation for how their platform grows over time.
