New website to bridge the gap

The Bridge

The Challenge

The Bridge Inc came to us with a clear brief. They knew they had a lot to say and a lot of services, but their existing website didn’t clearly show how their diverse services connected and complemented each other. Their website wasn’t accessible, the backend was clunky to use and there was a lot of copy that wasn’t laid out well, so the website didn’t feel engaging. It felt outdated and didn’t reflect the great organisation they are.

The Bridge has a great story. Started by parents in the 1970s, they exist to give people real, meaningful opportunities and support them to live their lives to the fullest. Many clients come through word of mouth, return after trying other providers, and some clients have even been with The Bridge their whole lives.

We could see from their photography that The Bridge was a genuinely passionate organisation, with happy clients and staff who clearly cared about what they did. Together with The Bridge, our job was to bring that story to life online. In other words, to help The Bridge bridge the gap.

The Solution

We started with a workshop to understand The Bridge’s audiences, what they needed and how they used the website, while reviewing the accessibility of their existing brand and website.

We introduced complementary brand colours and new icons across the site, while retaining their existing brand mark. The website was designed to bring their diverse services together in a welcoming, inclusive and user-friendly experience, making it easier for people to explore what The Bridge offers.

We also brought more interactivity to the website through movement on scroll and hover. The site meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards and features the UserWay accessibility widget and Google Translate.

Behind the scenes, we made the website easier for staff to manage too. FAQ categories and filtering make it simpler to add and display FAQs, while job opportunities are automatically pulled from their employment system, removing the need for staff to add them manually.

SEO was also considered throughout, from page titles, descriptions and image descriptions through to landing pages built around key search terms.

The result is a well-designed website that helps people find the information and support that’s right for them, and better reflects the great organisation The Bridge is.

This project was about more than a website redesign. Working closely with Freerange Future, we created a more inclusive, accessible and user-friendly digital experience that better reflects The Bridge’s commitment to community connection. The new website meets best-practice accessibility standards, strengthens our online presence and makes it easier for participants, families, job seekers and the broader industry to find and engage with our services.

A huge thanks to Nick and his team - we are incredibly happy with the new website! The feedback has been incredibly positive.

It has honestly been a pleasure working with the Freerange team (in particular yourself Laura on this). Thanks again for a great project experience.

Naomi Black
Executive Manager - Marketing, Brand & Engagement

Highlights

Accessible for everyone

The new website meets WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, which we achieved by introducing new complementary brand colours, installing the UserWay accessibility widget and Google Translate, adding alt tags and considering accessibility throughout the design.

Built with SEO in mind

SEO was considered throughout the website, from page titles, descriptions and alt text to landing pages designed around key search terms, helping more people find The Bridge online through search. In just the first month after launch, traffic from organic search hit a record high.

Integrated job listings

The website is integrated with The Bridge’s employment system, so job opportunities are automatically pulled into the website, removing the need for staff to add them manually.