VolMatch is a service that aims to connect people wanting to volunteer their time and skills with organisations in need of volunteers. It is a platform that makes it easy for individuals to find meaningful volunteer opportunities that align with their interests, availability and skill set.
Volunteering is an important aspect of society as it allows individuals to contribute towards causes they care about and make a positive impact in their communities. However, finding the right volunteering opportunity can often be a daunting and time-consuming process. This is where VolMatch comes in.
How does VolMatch work?
VolMatch operates as a digital platform, allowing organisations to post their volunteer opportunities and individuals to search and apply for these opportunities. It simplifies the volunteering process by providing a centralised database of opportunities that can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. This not only makes it easier for individuals to find volunteer opportunities, but also for organisations to reach a larger pool of potential volunteers.
The Brief
Having worked with Jim Tatchell in the past, branding and developing a new website for the Bishop’s Stortford Food Bank, he approached us to rebuild their public facing website to help highlight VolMatch and improve its brand image. This was part of a renewed push to help VolMatch develop a larger user base of organisations and volunteers after the pandemic stalled efforts.
While looking at the website design itself, it was established that the logo and branding could also be reviewed at the same time to give not only the website a new lease of life but all of their marketing material as well.
The Branding Process
The first step was to get to know VolMatch, their goals, and identity, essential for going into the design process to create a brand that showcases VolMatch’s core values. We worked on the website design alongside the development of the new logo/branding, this allowed us to visualise how the branding would feed into the website and in turn the design of the website helped to influence the logo design, bringing the two parts together effectively.
We started by looking at the existing logo and tweaking it but soon opted to rebuild it from the ground up to ensure it was as versatile as possible. The new logo needed to be adaptable for use on various mediums such as the website, social media platforms and print materials.
After several iterations, we settled on a modern and simple design that incorporated elements of the original logo while giving it a fresh and updated look. We also created a brand style guide that outlines the colours, fonts, and overall aesthetic of VolMatch to ensure consistency across all their materials.
The Brand Rollout
With a new logo in place we rolled this out across the website, social media, business cards, letterheads as well as a new launch leaflet. The branding guidelines were updated and this ensured that all materials had a universal look and feel.
The Website Design
The website design focused on creating a clean and user-friendly interface that would make it easy for visitors to navigate and find the information they need. We identified the two key user journeys: “give time” and “get time” and used these to influence the design and site structure. The plan was to help guide people who are looking for volunteers into the “get time” section of the site and those looking for volunteer opportunities into the “give time” section.
This lead to clear CTA elements on the header section of the site with visual elements from the logo used to highlight these calls to action. Overall the site’s design is user-friendly and visually appealing, with a modern and professional look that aligns with VolMatch’s brand identity.
Website Development
We built the website using WordPress as the Content Management System (CMS), we built the theme in-house using a fully bespoke development process. This process means we can build the website , theme and plugins to be secure while allowing the site owner to update the website easily.
We also ensured that the website is fully responsive and optimised for all devices, making it accessible to a wider audience. Additionally, we integrated social media buttons and links to the VolMatch web app system so users can sign up for accounts when they locate an opportunity they are interested in. We have also connected the website with this app system so we can display the latest opportunities directly on the website helping to give a more cohesive look and feel to the online experience.
WordPress Training & Support
When the website was built on our testing server we gave full WordPress training to VolMatch, this enables them to login to the CMS themselves and make changes to the content directly. This ability means they are able to keep the website updated with new content as well as add news stories, to keep the website feeling fresh and help with SEO, while reducing ongoing costs.
In addition to the training, we also shared a link to the WordPress help section on our website. This section contains video tutorials on using WordPress, covering everything from tweaking existing copy to publishing new posts and uploading images to the Media Library.
With the website now live, we monitor it regularly for updates to the WP core and plugins, and also run scheduled backups to keep the website safe and secure. Ongoing support is provided as needed, with additional training provided on request.
Feedback
“From start to finish, Simpsons Creative have been kind, patient, efficient and competent – we have a whole new presence now which will be central to our inevitable future success! From initial consultation through to delivery of a whole new brand, logos, business cards, leaflets and our wonderful website, they couldn’t have been more professional – and great value for money too.”
Jim Tatchell
