Case Study YouthESource
Redeveloping YouthESource for a Modern, Engaging Experience
Overview
YouthESource.com is a Wordpress platform dedicated to providing valuable resources and guidance to youth leaders and adults. The goal of this project was to redesign the site for a modern, mobile-first experience, upgrade it to the latest version of WordPress, and enhance its performance, security, and content discoverability.
My Role
- Frontend Developer
- UI Design
- UX Design
🎯 Objectives
- Redesign & Rebuild for a Mobile-First Experience: Ensure an intuitive, user-friendly interface optimized for all devices and refresh the design while maintaining brand consistency.
- Migrate & Optimize Content: Seamlessly transfer content from the previous hosting provider to the new WordPress environment and ensure minimal downtime and data integrity during the migration.
- Enhance Functionality & Performance: Implement advanced search, gated content, and security measures and optimize hosting and performance for fast, reliable access.
🔑 Key Features & Solutions
- Advanced Search with SearchWP: Integrated SearchWP to improve resource discoverability beyond WordPress’s default search capabilities.
- Gated Content for Community Engagement: Certain resources are available only to registered users, fostering deeper engagement and community participation.
- Security & Stability Enhancements: Implemented Solid Security Pro to protect against vulnerabilities and ensured secure logins, user authentication, and spam protection.
- Multilingual Support: The platform now supports multiple languages, making resources accessible to a broader audience.
- Custom Post Types for Resource Organization: Developed custom post types to streamline how resources are structured and categorized, making it easier for users to navigate.
- Performance Tracking & Optimization: Integrated Google Analytics for data-driven insights into user behavior and optimized hosting, caching, and asset delivery for improved site speed.
📸 Before & After
Performance Metrics
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Page Load Time | 5.2s | 1.8s |
| Google Lighthouse Performance Score | 65 | 98 |
| Google Lighthouse Accessibility Score | 72 | 100 |
| Total Page Size | 3.5MB | 1.2MB |
| Number of Requests | 120 | 45 |
🚀 Key Wins: Load time was reduced by 65%, accessibility was improved to 100%, and page size was optimized by 66%, significantly boosting performance and user experience.
Design
The design of YouthESource.com was crafted to be clean, modern, and engaging, with a focus on user experience and accessibility. The color palette was refreshed to be more vibrant and inviting, and the typography was updated for better readability across devices.
Results & Impact
✅ Enhanced User Experience: The mobile-first design significantly improved engagement and ease of access.
✅ Seamless Content Migration: All existing resources were successfully transferred with no data loss.
✅ Improved Search & Navigation: Advanced search tools made it easier for users to find relevant content.
✅ Stronger Security & Performance: The website is now faster, safer, and more scalable for future growth.
Takeaways
This project reinforced the importance of user-centric design, seamless content migration, and scalable development. By integrating powerful search tools, security measures, and structured content organization, YouthESource.com is now a more effective, engaging, and future-proof platform for its audience.