b'The problem wasnt cosmetic. It was structural.data was outdated and hard to segment; and simple Eleven years of layered content had accumulatedupdates required outside help. inside a platform that only two people really knewThe team needed digital systems they could truly how to use. The member portaloriginally meantsteward: systems that supported the movement, not to be a central resource hubhad become almostbarriers that slowed it down.impossible to navigate. And only a few people from each member ministry had access, leaving frontlineDefining the websites jobstaff without tools that had been designed tosupport them. Louders Partner and Creative Lead Chris Thurman At the same time, Citygate Network was expanding.begins every project with a foundational question: Leadership was strengthening initiatives, increasingWhat job does your website need to perform?collaboration among ministries, and elevating advo- We think of websites as a frontline employee, cacy around homelessness and its root causes. TheChris explained. We just have to figure out the right digital infrastructure couldnt keep up with that vision. job description. How is it communicating to your Citygate Network needed more than a redesign.first-time visitors? Is it helping make things easy to They needed a new foundation. find? Is it speaking on behalf of the organization in a way that builds trust?From overwhelm to clarity Citygate Networks old site wasnt doing that job When Louder Agency stepped into the project, wewellfor prospects, staff, donors, or ministries.didnt begin with wireframes or templates. We beganTo correct that, we led the organization through a with listening. user-first strategy:Bethany was new in her role and candid about theClarify the top actions each audience needs to take. scope of the problem: Everything felt overwhelming.For rescue missions and ministries: Find practical The website, member portal, email tool, and dataresources, join discussions, register for events, up-structure all lived in the same aging platform. Trainingdate details, and connect with peers. For prospective was highly technicaltoo complex for non-devel-opersand the few people who could update the system were overloaded.Members consistently voiced the same frustrations: 4 Defining QuestionsThey couldnt find resources they knew existed. Ask these with your own ministrys website in mind:Discussion groups were inactive because no one could locate anything. 1. Can a first-time visitor immediately understand who Resources ranged from modern PDFs to docu- you help and how someone can get help today?ments written on typewriters.Job posts never expired; some were several 2. Does your website clearly communicate life trans-years old. formation, not just programs and processes?Prospective members struggled to understand the value of joining. 3. Is your navigation built around community needsGovernment partners couldnt see the profession- Get Help, Give Help, Volunteer, Learnrather than alism of the movement. internal departments?And on the back end, Citygate Network staff4. Is the next step obvious for donors, volunteers, and members struggled to navigate clunky, inefficientneighbors seeking services?systems. Membership applications required PDFs, manual data entry, and manual payment processing; 21 INSTIGATE|January/February|2026'