Whyy.org

Whyy.org - As a Senior Developer at Bluecadet, I played a pivotal role in the development of WHYY.org, a groundbreaking project for Greater Philadelphia's public media provider, WHYY. The revamped of this site not only integrated the station's renowned news service with compelling video/audio content, schedules, and event listings but also introduced innovative features to enhance user engagement with the platform's content.

  • Date

    10.10.2017

  • Role

    Lead Developer

  • Agency

    Bluecadet

  • Tech

    WordPress, PHP, Javascript, Ajax, CSS (Sass), Pantheon

Screenshot of the mobile view of whyy.org's News page with audio

News page with audio

Screenshot of the mobile view of whyy.org's Homepage

Homepage

Screenshot of the mobile view of whyy.org's Programs Schedule

Programs Schedule

Screenshot of the desktop view of whyy.org's Single News Page

Single News Page

Screenshot of the desktop view of whyy.org's Homepage

Homepage

Persistent Audio Player

One of the standout features was the implementation of a site-wide audio player or what we called "Persistent Audio Player", enabling users to stream episodes and segments while effortlessly navigating the site. To achieve this, we utilized the Ajaxify WordPress Site plugin and our own custom JavaScript code to create a this seamless browsing experience.

We overcame significant challenges, including migrating sixteen years' worth of diverse data from multiple platforms, totaling 96,000 pieces of legacy content. Collaborating closely with WHYY's team, we successfully identified priorities, allowing us to focus on key features for the initial launch while planning for subsequent phases. Additionally, user focus groups provided invaluable insights, informing our design approach and content strategy, and ultimately ensuring a seamless and immersive user experience.

Results

  • Average session duration increased by 36%
  • 39% improvement in bounce rate
  • 16 years’ worth of content seamlessly migrated

Stats.

  • Date

    10.10.2017

  • Role

    Lead Developer

  • Agency

    Bluecadet

  • Tech

    WordPress, PHP, Javascript, Ajax, CSS (Sass), Pantheon

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