Bridging the Gap: A Comprehensive Website Renewal for the Satakunta Student Nation
Swanson, Stephen (2024)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024111828509
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024111828509
Tiivistelmä
This thesis explores the development of a new website for the Satakunta Student Nation. It aims to overcome the limitations of an outdated design that affected user accessibility, engagement, and ease of maintenance. The project’s primary objective was to create a modern, inclusive digital platform that improves accessibility and reflects the organization’s dynamic community for current members, alumni, and prospective users. The scope encompassed a completely new website built on the foundations of user-centered design principles and accessibility compliance with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and WCAG 2.1 standards, ensuring usability for users with varying needs.
The project employs an Agile methodology, using iterative development and feedback loops to guide responsive adjustments and ensure alignment with user expectations. React and Next.js were selected as primary technologies, supporting a modular, component-based architecture to improve development efficiency and maintainability. Directus CMS was integrated to simplify content management, allowing non-technical users to handle regular updates independently.
Key activities included initial requirement gathering with stakeholders, followed by a design and development process focused on improving navigation, accessibility, and performance. User testing—comprising heuristic evaluations and task-completion tests—provided quantitative insights and qualitative feedback, which were utilized to guide iterative updates to achieve high usability and accessibility standards.
The renewed website resulted in significant gains in usability, reducing user task completion times by an average of 64 percent and increasing heuristic usability scores by an average of 29 percent. Accessibility scores improved to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, with the additions of screen-reader and keyboard compatibility as well as better visual contrast.
The project has delivered a sustainable, adaptable platform that supports the Satakunta Student Nation’s present needs and future growth. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating modern web development practices with rigorous accessibility standards, offering a replicable model for enhancing user engagement and organizational efficiency in community-centered digital projects.
The project employs an Agile methodology, using iterative development and feedback loops to guide responsive adjustments and ensure alignment with user expectations. React and Next.js were selected as primary technologies, supporting a modular, component-based architecture to improve development efficiency and maintainability. Directus CMS was integrated to simplify content management, allowing non-technical users to handle regular updates independently.
Key activities included initial requirement gathering with stakeholders, followed by a design and development process focused on improving navigation, accessibility, and performance. User testing—comprising heuristic evaluations and task-completion tests—provided quantitative insights and qualitative feedback, which were utilized to guide iterative updates to achieve high usability and accessibility standards.
The renewed website resulted in significant gains in usability, reducing user task completion times by an average of 64 percent and increasing heuristic usability scores by an average of 29 percent. Accessibility scores improved to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, with the additions of screen-reader and keyboard compatibility as well as better visual contrast.
The project has delivered a sustainable, adaptable platform that supports the Satakunta Student Nation’s present needs and future growth. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating modern web development practices with rigorous accessibility standards, offering a replicable model for enhancing user engagement and organizational efficiency in community-centered digital projects.