BC Hydro, the province’s electricity utility, is one of our long-term clients. We’re always eager to start on a new project with them because, although each one is different, we know the digital team understands the value of content.
This project involved providing guidance and recommendations on a content strategy for the About Us section of bchydro.com. We were tasked with delivering insights on audience needs, a user-focused information architecture, and content standards and guidelines for the section.
Why we loved this project
User-focus
We were aligned with BC Hydro from the beginning of the project on the importance of shifting to a user-focused About Us section. With each additional project, we’re able to permeate user-focus through more areas of the site.
Transparency
The existing site included a section on openness and transparency, and the team at BC Hydro wanted to weave this concept throughout About Us rather than confining it to one area. This was a creative and interesting challenge for us.
Clear values
BC Hydro had a clear list of things they value as an organization. This provided an excellent framework to ensure the About Us section demonstrated who BC Hydro is. We were able to align the content in the section with the organization’s values in both topics and presentation.
Key takeaways
The value of existing research
Companies like the Nielson Norman Group published well-researched best practices on a variety of topics, including About Us sections. We were able to combine this existing research with specific findings from BC Hydro’s audience for a robust About Us strategy.
The potential of PDFs
We didn’t intend to delve deeply into any of the PDFs on the About Us section. But our early findings hinted at a potential iceberg situation and we indeed found a surprising number of PDFs buried within its pages.
This led us to realize that although most of the files were outdated and unnecessary, some PDFs held valuable information that wasn’t found on any pages. So when it came time to make a migration plan, we were able to recommend bringing existing PDF content on-page, rather than starting from scratch.
The comfort of an actionable plan
We provided the BC Hydro team with a roadmap and the start of a migration plan, which delegated owners to the new About Us section page by page. These tools helped each department and team know their next steps, and reassured everyone that implementation was possible.
