The National Institute of Statistical Sciences is an independent research organization that was formed in the Triangle in 1990. The institution, created by the national statistics societies, Research Triangle Universities and Triangle organizations, provides cross-disciplinary research involving the statistical sciences. Serving national governmental and industrial clients, their project list has included providing research work for organizations such as the National Cancer Institute, National Center for Health Statistics and US Department of Health and Human Services.
Responsive Web Design 2012
Mobile web browsing is quickly becoming one of the top avenues for accessing websites today. It's what our industry refers to as "responsive web design" (RWD). RWD allows a website to alter the way it displays content based on the device a user is accessing it from. While still satisfied with their website design, NISS decided to improve their use experience by providing RWD functionality to their users. As the 2009 website was developed in Drupal, updating the templates and CSS was all that was needed to provide the new functionality. Now users can get to the content much easier then they were able to before with their mobile devices.
Initial Redesign 2009
Prior to the 2009 redesign, the corporate website no longer worked effectively for the organization. It suffered from many functional problems for administrators as well as lacking the modern appearance of a newer designed website. As content was added, it became increasingly cluttered in appearance and organizationally unmanageable for NISS. Overall usability was suffering, as documents were difficult to locate through lackluster navigation. With all of these difficulties, the branding and character of the organization were nonexistent online, so the organization sought a change that would reinvigorate their online presence.
Re-launched in June 2009, the new NISS website is a substantial improvement. The new design matches the level of sophistication of the organization with a refined, modern appearance, improved usability, organization, search and included the addition of a Drupal Content Management System. The new content management system will allow individuals at the organization to modify content to their website and maintain organization without the assistance of a Webmaster or designer. The project resulted in a modern, easily maintained, and usable website with great appeal for all users seeking information about the organization and partners keeping track of their newest developments.
“Comments about the site are that it is much easier to use and find what you’re looking for. It also has a much more contemporary look than the old website. DesignHammer is a great organization to work with. They did a great job of listening and developing a comprehensive design plan.”