Why change the ARGE website?

The need to improve the website was recognised as early as 2010, and was driven by a number of practical difficulties with the existing site.

• The existing site was difficult to edit
• Content such as text and photographs could not be added by ARGE
• The only option was to work through the web designers
• This proved expensive and inconvenient.

Because of these difficulties, the site wasn’t being updated, and wasn’t living up to its potential, so the decision was taken to invest in new site that would:

communicate standards developments to:

• ARGE member associations
• ARGE member customers
• End users

provide an informed and trusted point of reference to:

• European Governments
• Standards influencers

provide an informed and trusted point of reference for:

• Hardware end users
• Specifiers and installers (standards development and ARGE member products and services)

Objectives for the new site

A number of objectives were set, and it was agreed that the new ARGE site should:

• Become the recognised centre of expertise on hardware standards and standards developments
• Aim to promote the direction that ARGE members wish to take hardware standards going forwards (ie to drive performance standards upwards)
• Act as a platform to drive our “Sustainability” agenda and to support our lobbying campaign
• Be easy to edit and update
• Act as interactive platform for the engagement of visitors and members
• Present ARGE as a modern, forward looking and professional organisation
• Command respect and give ARGE genuine authority

The new site

The new site has been designed to be easy to use for both visitors to the site and for the ARGE team that will be editing it. It uses a simple and intuitive CMS (Content Management System) that makes updating the site as simple as possible.

The site has also been designed to be easy and intuitive for visitors to navigate, with coloured sections to help users know where they are, and clear menus that make navigation straight forward. The CMS is also designed to give fast download times for individual pages, and conforms to best practices.

Above all, however, the site is designed to take ARGE and its members forward, and to reflect the values and authority of ARGE in Europe.

Colin Higton is the Managing Director of Hullabaloo Visual Communications who designed and built the site, and he explains “Our design will inspire confidence in visitors without being intimidating, and create an approachable and friendly site that reflects the authority of ARGE as a trade association that represents many of the world’s leading lock and hardware manufacturers within Europe and Scandanavia.”

Tell us what you think…

ARGE is defined by its members, and we would love to hear what you think of the new site, as well as any suggestions for new features or information you would like to see in the future.

Please use the comment box below to tell us what you think…