Artemis

Welcome to Southfield

The City of Southfield is Michigan's premier business address, home to over 9,000 businesses including more than 80 Fortune 500 companies. 

The Problem

As it is the case with many government websites, the City of Southfield's website experienced a growth in terms of infomation and content it was not prepared for. As a result, the website was not organized in a user-friendly manner and access to valuable information was difficult for citizens. As many as thirty departments were struggling to maintain content and implement updates. Moreover, the City wanted to portray a sophisticated, modern front to potential businesses and residents who might be interested in relocating to the area.

The Solution

Artemis approached the project by first conducting a full-scale usability study on the old site in order to make informed decisions regarding design and navigational improvements. An in-depth review of the primary audiences and their needs was also undertaken. Our solution focused on providing City visitors, current residents and businesses intuitive user paths to get to the information and services they needed.

Our content management system robust user-roles and approval hierarchies enabled all the different departments to easily manage their individual content while maintaining a unified branding and user-experience for visitors.

Launched in May 2007, the redesigned website combines sophisticated marketing tools and user-friendly design. From the opening Flash animation to the expanded menu that organizes information in an easy-to-find format, visitors encounter an engaging design that projects the City's positive brand on every page.

In July 2007 Artemis' work on the new website was recognized by the Michigan Economic Development Association (MEDA) as the Best City Website for populations under 100,000. Submissions were evaluated based on creativity, graphic design, and content. Entries were judged by a panel of independent representatives from professional public relations and marketing firms.