
Nodus Solutions has been a strong partner for the Museum over several years. They are extremely dependable and we have relied heavily on their technical expertise during the integration of our new software integration. We appreciate their creativity and ability to listen to our needs.
Kelly J. Zúñiga, Ed.D., CEO of HMH
The Customer
Holocaust Museum Houston, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization founded in 1996 by Houston-area Holocaust Survivors, their descendants and members of the community, is accredited by The American Alliance of Museums. Average annual attendance is 110,000 visitors, including more than 43,750 middle and high school students. The Museum is dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust, remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims and honoring the survivors’ legacy.
The Challenge
HMH wanted to improve their patrons' experience online. They needed a website that would allow users to purchase memberships and renewals, donate funds, register for events, participate in moderated forums and shop the museum store online. They also wanted to improve the aesthetics of the site by introducing a lighter color palette, more imagery and infographics, and easier to read copy.
The Solution
Every Nodus Solutions’ web development engagement begins with UX research and analysis. NS interviewed HMH patrons and volunteers and reworked the existing Information Architecture (IA) based on user feedback. Further testing validated the IA as users commented that it was much easier to find the information they needed.
Once the IA was complete, the design team began work with HMH to generate design concepts using brighter color pallets and more vivid imagery. At the same time, the development team formulated a plan to implement occulus Siriusware and The Raiser’s Edge as well as the NS Maia CMS to tie everything together and give control of the site to HMH.
Over the course of the next six months, the design team met regularly with HMH to review the website on a weekly basis. As the developers added functionality, the QA team tested every option and shared their findings with the UX team who then recommended improvements which the development team implemented. HMH reviewed the entire site in dev and test various functionalities before approving the site and allowing NS to push it live.
The Results
Prior to the launch of the new site, HMH only processed a few hundred online transactions through the website annually. HMH now processes over 5,000 transactions per year.