DCTV is a public access media platform that launched in 1988 under then Mayor Marion Barry, and has grown to include seven channels on multiple cable television providers in the Washington, D.C. region. They provide 24/7 access to local content produced in Washington, D.C. and also serve as a community outreach organization giving production support to nonprofits and local creators. DCTV offers media courses to teach production, but also prioritizes platforming the voices of Washington D.C. metro’s residents. The network came to Black Digital seeking a new, agile website that could support its growing mission to improve streaming access to content.
DCTV’s original website didn’t fully support the network’s vision of boosting streaming content to maximize visibility. Originally, the platform relied on a clunky handoff process which initially leveraged a WordPress landing page that redirected website visitors to various Drupal pages to access streaming content directly. Although it worked, it wasn’t efficient, was extremely outdated, and presented the image that DCTV was behind the times.
DCTV wanted to perform a complete website overhaul. The key issues to address included improving page speed, and creating a more intuitive website design that corrected several issues. Along with a visual refresh that reflected a modern era, DCTV wanted to create a more functional website that was easier for users to navigate, while allowing for flexibility to expand as new content offerings or pages were added. Additionally, the client wanted to launch the rebrand by April 2nd, 2025.
We understood the assignment and worked to create a website that was streamlined, functional, intuitive to use, and of course, looked beautiful. DCTV’s priority was to improve accessibility to its streaming library to support D.C. residents watching content natively on their website. We researched common design features found on major streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime to adopt best practices into DCTV’s framework.
Working in tandem with key stakeholders at the network, we began by first drafting a design scheme. We understood that it was important to expertly merge an attractive user interface (UI) with a seamless user experience (UX) that made browsing DCTV’s website easier, and reduced navigational pain points and especially page abandonment.
Our first priority was to eliminate the clunky WordPress to Drupal handoff. We replaced this with a sleek, fully functional WordPress site. This included the web development team performing critical backend improvements that shortened page load speeds, worked to reduce rendering errors, and improved page responsiveness. Additionally, since we knew DCTV needed the flexibility to continue uploading new content, we provided additional training to ensure their project manager could continue adding content after our project ended.
While working closely with the client, we built a fully functional website well ahead of their April 2nd benchmark and after inserting content, the updated DCTV site went live within 24 hours.
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