Dorset Food & Drink
The brief
DF&D is a membership organisation consisting of Dorset-based food and drink enterprises which support local food and local economy ethos. Its members pay a subscription-based on turnover to support DF&D’s wider work and to access a variety of benefits including promotion, networking, information signposting and increased access to markets.
DF&D has developed a strong brand position within the very vibrant Dorset food and drink sector but part of their rationale was to better capture the opportunity offered by DF&Ds current positioning, to grow the membership base, to appeal to consumers as a food destination site, and to offer a wider and more comprehensive set of member support initiatives.
Their web presence formed part of the Dorset Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) Joomla-based website. In order to implement its development programme, and to attract new corporate sponsorship, DF&D needed its own, stand-alone website.
The requirement was to develop a user-friendly CMS based website which could easily be managed by the DF&D team but more importantly achieved their clear objectives of providing clear, simple and accessible information about DF&D to inform and engage consumers; to showcase Dorset’s rich and diverse food and farming sector; to use as a tool for doing business with existing members, to recruit new members and to capture corporate sponsorship and to provide the base for a set of new social media and digital marketing initiatives.
DF&D has developed a strong brand position within the very vibrant Dorset food and drink sector but part of their rationale was to better capture the opportunity offered by DF&Ds current positioning, to grow the membership base, to appeal to consumers as a food destination site, and to offer a wider and more comprehensive set of member support initiatives.
Their web presence formed part of the Dorset Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) Joomla-based website. In order to implement its development programme, and to attract new corporate sponsorship, DF&D needed its own, stand-alone website.
The requirement was to develop a user-friendly CMS based website which could easily be managed by the DF&D team but more importantly achieved their clear objectives of providing clear, simple and accessible information about DF&D to inform and engage consumers; to showcase Dorset’s rich and diverse food and farming sector; to use as a tool for doing business with existing members, to recruit new members and to capture corporate sponsorship and to provide the base for a set of new social media and digital marketing initiatives.
Our response
When approaching the design for the DF&D website, we began with the colour scheme as we needed to showcase the availability of local Dorset produce and celebrate the vibrant, sustainable Dorset food and drink sector. We took the earthy colours from the logo as a base for the website but then introduced a paradise pink as a prominent accent that allows DF&D to stand out among the other Dorset AONB initiatives. We then complimented the colours with hand-drawn illustrative elements that reflect the more rugged nature of organic produce.
We designed the site to be very image-led, keeping true to the DF&D brand, all of these images came from a single local Dorset photographer. We married up a harmony of shallow focus macro food shots to entice the user to explore foods along with location-based photos that highlighted key Dorset areas.
The core function of the website was to provide users with a directory of local food and drink businesses, therefore, we designed the search functionality to sit above all other on-page elements. This paired with the subtle shadow and the new pink accent colour draws the eye immediately to its presence, encouraging users to explore the incredible food and drink Dorset has to offer.
We developed the Dorset Food & Drink (DF&D) website using WordPress CMS so that DF&D could manage content themselves and also due to the wide array of support and off the shelf integrations which would help DF&D with future requirements (such as membership payments/ advertising modules).
As a core function of the site is the directory of food and drink businesses, parametric search functionality had to be custom developed to allow for filtering and searching on all businesses. In addition, custom Google Maps integration had to be developed to allow for dynamic business location markers that further assisted the user searching of businesses. Dynamically populated category pages were also created to allow for relevant businesses to show up under these pages.
A fully bespoke members dashboard was developed giving members access through secure logins to their individual areas as well as a community members area which offers key information and business downloads facilities that are specific to their business. The functionality for the dashboard allows the members to access account details, update their own directory submission, receive industry updates, submit applications for events, access funding and support information and submit offers that feature on the main site for consumers.
The community area is sponsored by a ‘key member’ and provides a range of business PDFS, networking opportunities, board papers and overall business support. Functionality for a live news feed from the sponsor is also incorporated. The backend development allows for DF&D to approve all the member updates and applications before it goes live.
We designed the site to be very image-led, keeping true to the DF&D brand, all of these images came from a single local Dorset photographer. We married up a harmony of shallow focus macro food shots to entice the user to explore foods along with location-based photos that highlighted key Dorset areas.
The core function of the website was to provide users with a directory of local food and drink businesses, therefore, we designed the search functionality to sit above all other on-page elements. This paired with the subtle shadow and the new pink accent colour draws the eye immediately to its presence, encouraging users to explore the incredible food and drink Dorset has to offer.
We developed the Dorset Food & Drink (DF&D) website using WordPress CMS so that DF&D could manage content themselves and also due to the wide array of support and off the shelf integrations which would help DF&D with future requirements (such as membership payments/ advertising modules).
As a core function of the site is the directory of food and drink businesses, parametric search functionality had to be custom developed to allow for filtering and searching on all businesses. In addition, custom Google Maps integration had to be developed to allow for dynamic business location markers that further assisted the user searching of businesses. Dynamically populated category pages were also created to allow for relevant businesses to show up under these pages.
A fully bespoke members dashboard was developed giving members access through secure logins to their individual areas as well as a community members area which offers key information and business downloads facilities that are specific to their business. The functionality for the dashboard allows the members to access account details, update their own directory submission, receive industry updates, submit applications for events, access funding and support information and submit offers that feature on the main site for consumers.
The community area is sponsored by a ‘key member’ and provides a range of business PDFS, networking opportunities, board papers and overall business support. Functionality for a live news feed from the sponsor is also incorporated. The backend development allows for DF&D to approve all the member updates and applications before it goes live.
Results
The website has now become a hub for all of the DF&D members to visit and has really helped to promote the Dorset Food & Drink community. DF&D confirmed that the new site gave them the confidence to share it with as many clients as possible as it was so aesthetically appealing, clear and concise as well as developed to be easy to navigate. Within 2 months of the launch of the site, DF&D saw 3600 hits and 12 new members, plus many enquiries through the website; helping them build better relationships.
Digital Storm was also crowned the winner in the Not for Profit Website of the Year category for the design and development of the Dorset Food & Drink website at the prestigious Wirehive 100 Awards which celebrates the outstanding creative and technical talent that the South has to offer.
The judges described Digital Storms entry as “It can be really hard for a site that is not for a high-profile cause to compete against the powerful emotive content charities typically have. But the complexity of the challenge here and the elegance with which it has been solved make a really strong case. This entry showed real intelligence to the interface and design. Engaging, easy to use and attractive. That makes it a stand-out site and one well worthy of an award.”
Digital Storm was also crowned the winner in the Not for Profit Website of the Year category for the design and development of the Dorset Food & Drink website at the prestigious Wirehive 100 Awards which celebrates the outstanding creative and technical talent that the South has to offer.
The judges described Digital Storms entry as “It can be really hard for a site that is not for a high-profile cause to compete against the powerful emotive content charities typically have. But the complexity of the challenge here and the elegance with which it has been solved make a really strong case. This entry showed real intelligence to the interface and design. Engaging, easy to use and attractive. That makes it a stand-out site and one well worthy of an award.”
Digital Storm went above and beyond to create a fresh and vibrant website for us in a short space of time. Digital Storm understood that we had a budget and knew exactly what to do to suit our brand and still fit the budget. As a small business, this is important and with our emphasis being on our members, the price and quality of the website was not only appreciated by us but also them. Overall, we believe that our website outdid our expectations.
Katharine Wright
DORSET FOOD & DRINK
Dorset Food & Drink
The brief
DF&D is a membership organisation consisting of Dorset-based food and drink enterprises which support local food and local economy ethos. Its members pay a subscription-based on turnover to support DF&D’s wider work and to access a variety of benefits including promotion, networking, information signposting and increased access to markets.
DF&D has developed a strong brand position within the very vibrant Dorset food and drink sector but part of their rationale was to better capture the opportunity offered by DF&Ds current positioning, to grow the membership base, to appeal to consumers as a food destination site, and to offer a wider and more comprehensive set of member support initiatives.
Their web presence formed part of the Dorset Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) Joomla-based website. In order to implement its development programme, and to attract new corporate sponsorship, DF&D needed its own, stand-alone website.
The requirement was to develop a user-friendly CMS based website which could easily be managed by the DF&D team but more importantly achieved their clear objectives of providing clear, simple and accessible information about DF&D to inform and engage consumers; to showcase Dorset’s rich and diverse food and farming sector; to use as a tool for doing business with existing members, to recruit new members and to capture corporate sponsorship and to provide the base for a set of new social media and digital marketing initiatives.
DF&D has developed a strong brand position within the very vibrant Dorset food and drink sector but part of their rationale was to better capture the opportunity offered by DF&Ds current positioning, to grow the membership base, to appeal to consumers as a food destination site, and to offer a wider and more comprehensive set of member support initiatives.
Their web presence formed part of the Dorset Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) Joomla-based website. In order to implement its development programme, and to attract new corporate sponsorship, DF&D needed its own, stand-alone website.
The requirement was to develop a user-friendly CMS based website which could easily be managed by the DF&D team but more importantly achieved their clear objectives of providing clear, simple and accessible information about DF&D to inform and engage consumers; to showcase Dorset’s rich and diverse food and farming sector; to use as a tool for doing business with existing members, to recruit new members and to capture corporate sponsorship and to provide the base for a set of new social media and digital marketing initiatives.
Our response
When approaching the design for the DF&D website, we began with the colour scheme as we needed to showcase the availability of local Dorset produce and celebrate the vibrant, sustainable Dorset food and drink sector. We took the earthy colours from the logo as a base for the website but then introduced a paradise pink as a prominent accent that allows DF&D to stand out among the other Dorset AONB initiatives. We then complimented the colours with hand-drawn illustrative elements that reflect the more rugged nature of organic produce.
We designed the site to be very image-led, keeping true to the DF&D brand, all of these images came from a single local Dorset photographer. We married up a harmony of shallow focus macro food shots to entice the user to explore foods along with location-based photos that highlighted key Dorset areas.
The core function of the website was to provide users with a directory of local food and drink businesses, therefore, we designed the search functionality to sit above all other on-page elements. This paired with the subtle shadow and the new pink accent colour draws the eye immediately to its presence, encouraging users to explore the incredible food and drink Dorset has to offer.
We developed the Dorset Food & Drink (DF&D) website using WordPress CMS so that DF&D could manage content themselves and also due to the wide array of support and off the shelf integrations which would help DF&D with future requirements (such as membership payments/ advertising modules).
As a core function of the site is the directory of food and drink businesses, parametric search functionality had to be custom developed to allow for filtering and searching on all businesses. In addition, custom Google Maps integration had to be developed to allow for dynamic business location markers that further assisted the user searching of businesses. Dynamically populated category pages were also created to allow for relevant businesses to show up under these pages.
A fully bespoke members dashboard was developed giving members access through secure logins to their individual areas as well as a community members area which offers key information and business downloads facilities that are specific to their business. The functionality for the dashboard allows the members to access account details, update their own directory submission, receive industry updates, submit applications for events, access funding and support information and submit offers that feature on the main site for consumers.
The community area is sponsored by a ‘key member’ and provides a range of business PDFS, networking opportunities, board papers and overall business support. Functionality for a live news feed from the sponsor is also incorporated. The backend development allows for DF&D to approve all the member updates and applications before it goes live.
We designed the site to be very image-led, keeping true to the DF&D brand, all of these images came from a single local Dorset photographer. We married up a harmony of shallow focus macro food shots to entice the user to explore foods along with location-based photos that highlighted key Dorset areas.
The core function of the website was to provide users with a directory of local food and drink businesses, therefore, we designed the search functionality to sit above all other on-page elements. This paired with the subtle shadow and the new pink accent colour draws the eye immediately to its presence, encouraging users to explore the incredible food and drink Dorset has to offer.
We developed the Dorset Food & Drink (DF&D) website using WordPress CMS so that DF&D could manage content themselves and also due to the wide array of support and off the shelf integrations which would help DF&D with future requirements (such as membership payments/ advertising modules).
As a core function of the site is the directory of food and drink businesses, parametric search functionality had to be custom developed to allow for filtering and searching on all businesses. In addition, custom Google Maps integration had to be developed to allow for dynamic business location markers that further assisted the user searching of businesses. Dynamically populated category pages were also created to allow for relevant businesses to show up under these pages.
A fully bespoke members dashboard was developed giving members access through secure logins to their individual areas as well as a community members area which offers key information and business downloads facilities that are specific to their business. The functionality for the dashboard allows the members to access account details, update their own directory submission, receive industry updates, submit applications for events, access funding and support information and submit offers that feature on the main site for consumers.
The community area is sponsored by a ‘key member’ and provides a range of business PDFS, networking opportunities, board papers and overall business support. Functionality for a live news feed from the sponsor is also incorporated. The backend development allows for DF&D to approve all the member updates and applications before it goes live.
Results
The website has now become a hub for all of the DF&D members to visit and has really helped to promote the Dorset Food & Drink community. DF&D confirmed that the new site gave them the confidence to share it with as many clients as possible as it was so aesthetically appealing, clear and concise as well as developed to be easy to navigate. Within 2 months of the launch of the site, DF&D saw 3600 hits and 12 new members, plus many enquiries through the website; helping them build better relationships.
Digital Storm was also crowned the winner in the Not for Profit Website of the Year category for the design and development of the Dorset Food & Drink website at the prestigious Wirehive 100 Awards which celebrates the outstanding creative and technical talent that the South has to offer.
The judges described Digital Storms entry as “It can be really hard for a site that is not for a high-profile cause to compete against the powerful emotive content charities typically have. But the complexity of the challenge here and the elegance with which it has been solved make a really strong case. This entry showed real intelligence to the interface and design. Engaging, easy to use and attractive. That makes it a stand-out site and one well worthy of an award.”
Digital Storm was also crowned the winner in the Not for Profit Website of the Year category for the design and development of the Dorset Food & Drink website at the prestigious Wirehive 100 Awards which celebrates the outstanding creative and technical talent that the South has to offer.
The judges described Digital Storms entry as “It can be really hard for a site that is not for a high-profile cause to compete against the powerful emotive content charities typically have. But the complexity of the challenge here and the elegance with which it has been solved make a really strong case. This entry showed real intelligence to the interface and design. Engaging, easy to use and attractive. That makes it a stand-out site and one well worthy of an award.”
Digital Storm went above and beyond to create a fresh and vibrant website for us in a short space of time. Digital Storm understood that we had a budget and knew exactly what to do to suit our brand and still fit the budget. As a small business, this is important and with our emphasis being on our members, the price and quality of the website was not only appreciated by us but also them. Overall, we believe that our website outdid our expectations.
Katharine Wright
DORSET FOOD & DRINK
Dorset Food & Drink
The brief
DF&D is a membership organisation consisting of Dorset-based food and drink enterprises which support local food and local economy ethos. Its members pay a subscription-based on turnover to support DF&D’s wider work and to access a variety of benefits including promotion, networking, information signposting and increased access to markets.
DF&D has developed a strong brand position within the very vibrant Dorset food and drink sector but part of their rationale was to better capture the opportunity offered by DF&Ds current positioning, to grow the membership base, to appeal to consumers as a food destination site, and to offer a wider and more comprehensive set of member support initiatives.
Their web presence formed part of the Dorset Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) Joomla-based website. In order to implement its development programme, and to attract new corporate sponsorship, DF&D needed its own, stand-alone website.
The requirement was to develop a user-friendly CMS based website which could easily be managed by the DF&D team but more importantly achieved their clear objectives of providing clear, simple and accessible information about DF&D to inform and engage consumers; to showcase Dorset’s rich and diverse food and farming sector; to use as a tool for doing business with existing members, to recruit new members and to capture corporate sponsorship and to provide the base for a set of new social media and digital marketing initiatives.
DF&D has developed a strong brand position within the very vibrant Dorset food and drink sector but part of their rationale was to better capture the opportunity offered by DF&Ds current positioning, to grow the membership base, to appeal to consumers as a food destination site, and to offer a wider and more comprehensive set of member support initiatives.
Their web presence formed part of the Dorset Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) Joomla-based website. In order to implement its development programme, and to attract new corporate sponsorship, DF&D needed its own, stand-alone website.
The requirement was to develop a user-friendly CMS based website which could easily be managed by the DF&D team but more importantly achieved their clear objectives of providing clear, simple and accessible information about DF&D to inform and engage consumers; to showcase Dorset’s rich and diverse food and farming sector; to use as a tool for doing business with existing members, to recruit new members and to capture corporate sponsorship and to provide the base for a set of new social media and digital marketing initiatives.
Our response
When approaching the design for the DF&D website, we began with the colour scheme as we needed to showcase the availability of local Dorset produce and celebrate the vibrant, sustainable Dorset food and drink sector. We took the earthy colours from the logo as a base for the website but then introduced a paradise pink as a prominent accent that allows DF&D to stand out among the other Dorset AONB initiatives. We then complimented the colours with hand-drawn illustrative elements that reflect the more rugged nature of organic produce.
We designed the site to be very image-led, keeping true to the DF&D brand, all of these images came from a single local Dorset photographer. We married up a harmony of shallow focus macro food shots to entice the user to explore foods along with location-based photos that highlighted key Dorset areas.
The core function of the website was to provide users with a directory of local food and drink businesses, therefore, we designed the search functionality to sit above all other on-page elements. This paired with the subtle shadow and the new pink accent colour draws the eye immediately to its presence, encouraging users to explore the incredible food and drink Dorset has to offer.
We developed the Dorset Food & Drink (DF&D) website using WordPress CMS so that DF&D could manage content themselves and also due to the wide array of support and off the shelf integrations which would help DF&D with future requirements (such as membership payments/ advertising modules).
As a core function of the site is the directory of food and drink businesses, parametric search functionality had to be custom developed to allow for filtering and searching on all businesses. In addition, custom Google Maps integration had to be developed to allow for dynamic business location markers that further assisted the user searching of businesses. Dynamically populated category pages were also created to allow for relevant businesses to show up under these pages.
A fully bespoke members dashboard was developed giving members access through secure logins to their individual areas as well as a community members area which offers key information and business downloads facilities that are specific to their business. The functionality for the dashboard allows the members to access account details, update their own directory submission, receive industry updates, submit applications for events, access funding and support information and submit offers that feature on the main site for consumers.
The community area is sponsored by a ‘key member’ and provides a range of business PDFS, networking opportunities, board papers and overall business support. Functionality for a live news feed from the sponsor is also incorporated. The backend development allows for DF&D to approve all the member updates and applications before it goes live.
We designed the site to be very image-led, keeping true to the DF&D brand, all of these images came from a single local Dorset photographer. We married up a harmony of shallow focus macro food shots to entice the user to explore foods along with location-based photos that highlighted key Dorset areas.
The core function of the website was to provide users with a directory of local food and drink businesses, therefore, we designed the search functionality to sit above all other on-page elements. This paired with the subtle shadow and the new pink accent colour draws the eye immediately to its presence, encouraging users to explore the incredible food and drink Dorset has to offer.
We developed the Dorset Food & Drink (DF&D) website using WordPress CMS so that DF&D could manage content themselves and also due to the wide array of support and off the shelf integrations which would help DF&D with future requirements (such as membership payments/ advertising modules).
As a core function of the site is the directory of food and drink businesses, parametric search functionality had to be custom developed to allow for filtering and searching on all businesses. In addition, custom Google Maps integration had to be developed to allow for dynamic business location markers that further assisted the user searching of businesses. Dynamically populated category pages were also created to allow for relevant businesses to show up under these pages.
A fully bespoke members dashboard was developed giving members access through secure logins to their individual areas as well as a community members area which offers key information and business downloads facilities that are specific to their business. The functionality for the dashboard allows the members to access account details, update their own directory submission, receive industry updates, submit applications for events, access funding and support information and submit offers that feature on the main site for consumers.
The community area is sponsored by a ‘key member’ and provides a range of business PDFS, networking opportunities, board papers and overall business support. Functionality for a live news feed from the sponsor is also incorporated. The backend development allows for DF&D to approve all the member updates and applications before it goes live.
Results
The website has now become a hub for all of the DF&D members to visit and has really helped to promote the Dorset Food & Drink community. DF&D confirmed that the new site gave them the confidence to share it with as many clients as possible as it was so aesthetically appealing, clear and concise as well as developed to be easy to navigate. Within 2 months of the launch of the site, DF&D saw 3600 hits and 12 new members, plus many enquiries through the website; helping them build better relationships.
Digital Storm was also crowned the winner in the Not for Profit Website of the Year category for the design and development of the Dorset Food & Drink website at the prestigious Wirehive 100 Awards which celebrates the outstanding creative and technical talent that the South has to offer.
The judges described Digital Storms entry as “It can be really hard for a site that is not for a high-profile cause to compete against the powerful emotive content charities typically have. But the complexity of the challenge here and the elegance with which it has been solved make a really strong case. This entry showed real intelligence to the interface and design. Engaging, easy to use and attractive. That makes it a stand-out site and one well worthy of an award.”
Digital Storm was also crowned the winner in the Not for Profit Website of the Year category for the design and development of the Dorset Food & Drink website at the prestigious Wirehive 100 Awards which celebrates the outstanding creative and technical talent that the South has to offer.
The judges described Digital Storms entry as “It can be really hard for a site that is not for a high-profile cause to compete against the powerful emotive content charities typically have. But the complexity of the challenge here and the elegance with which it has been solved make a really strong case. This entry showed real intelligence to the interface and design. Engaging, easy to use and attractive. That makes it a stand-out site and one well worthy of an award.”
Digital Storm went above and beyond to create a fresh and vibrant website for us in a short space of time. Digital Storm understood that we had a budget and knew exactly what to do to suit our brand and still fit the budget. As a small business, this is important and with our emphasis being on our members, the price and quality of the website was not only appreciated by us but also them. Overall, we believe that our website outdid our expectations.
Katharine Wright
DORSET FOOD & DRINK
