Build something meaningful.
Custom Development
Web Design
Strategy Workshops
Stakeholder Interviews
Responsive
Nonprofit, Healthcare
2023
The National Aphasia Association (NAA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources and support for the approximately 2,000,000 people in the U.S. living with Aphasia, a language processing disorder often caused by stroke or traumatic brain injuries. It also serves as a vital resource for caregivers and service providers. To better fulfill this mission, the NAA needed a modernized, user-friendly website to replace its outdated design. Clique developed a streamlined solution that balances efficiency and creativity, blending proprietary templates with custom work to create a flexible and effective platform for the organization’s evolving needs.
The Challenge
Accessibility meets modern design.
To better serve people with Aphasia and their families, the National Aphasia Association recognized the need for a more intuitive and supportive online experience. Their previous site housed a wealth of valuable resources, but navigating it felt overwhelming. Without the right content management system (CMS) to prioritize key information, important resources got lost in the clutter. They needed a partner who could help them create a more accessible, structured, and user-friendly platform—one that made it easier for individuals, caregivers, and service providers to find the support they need.
The Process
Aphasia-friendly design principles.
Accessibility was at the forefront of our efforts, knowing that key audiences would include caregivers, medical practitioners, and folks with Aphasia. To support this goal, we followed NAA’s guidelines on Aphasia-friendly design principles while also implementing known best-practice solutions. These optimizations included clear text hierarchy, short paragraphs, and use of visual assets like icons and imagery to support messaging.
Future-proofing WordPress backend.
The NAA had long-term growth goals which we wanted to support as part of this launch, as well as older initiatives that didn’t need to be supported any longer. With an eye towards future flexibility, we rethought the admin capabilities. We simplified the custom post type set up, minimized plugin usage, and created a flexible template to allow for future use as the organization’s needs change.
Key player collaboration.
We completed stakeholder interviews with key decision-makers, including hands-on board members and practitioners with experience in treating Aphasia. The Discovery and Design phase of this project was a very collaborative, top-down process. We started with a big picture and wish lists, then parsed out the details to determine needs. Ultimately, we were able to get input on stretch goals and incorporate wishlist items from each stakeholder while still considering the end user’s core needs.
Maintained strong SEO & traffic stats.
Despite being a smaller organization, the NAA has a mighty web presence. They came into this partnership with very strong organic traffic that we didn’t want to compromise, but we knew some restructuring would be necessary to simplify and streamline the user flow. We worked together to determine which pages needed to remain, which could be combined, and what could be thoughtfully refreshed. The end product incorporated mindfully restructured pages in order to simplify the user experience without sacrificing search optimization.
The Process
Aphasia-friendly design principles.
Accessibility was at the forefront of our efforts, knowing that key audiences would include caregivers, medical practitioners, and folks with Aphasia. To support this goal, we followed NAA’s guidelines on Aphasia-friendly design principles while also implementing known best-practice solutions. These optimizations included clear text hierarchy, short paragraphs, and use of visual assets like icons and imagery to support messaging.
Future-proofing WordPress backend.
The NAA had long-term growth goals which we wanted to support as part of this launch, as well as older initiatives that didn’t need to be supported any longer. With an eye towards future flexibility, we rethought the admin capabilities. We simplified the custom post type set up, minimized plugin usage, and created a flexible template to allow for future use as the organization’s needs change.
Key player collaboration.
We completed stakeholder interviews with key decision-makers, including hands-on board members and practitioners with experience in treating Aphasia. The Discovery and Design phase of this project was a very collaborative, top-down process. We started with a big picture and wish lists, then parsed out the details to determine needs. Ultimately, we were able to get input on stretch goals and incorporate wishlist items from each stakeholder while still considering the end user’s core needs.
Maintained strong SEO & traffic stats.
Despite being a smaller organization, the NAA has a mighty web presence. They came into this partnership with very strong organic traffic that we didn’t want to compromise, but we knew some restructuring would be necessary to simplify and streamline the user flow. We worked together to determine which pages needed to remain, which could be combined, and what could be thoughtfully refreshed. The end product incorporated mindfully restructured pages in order to simplify the user experience without sacrificing search optimization.
The Solution
The NAA’s new site is a perfect example of packing a powerful site in a small package. In our partnership, we got creative with a shorter timeline and a budget to fit a nonprofit organization without compromising quality or impact. We went all in with the discovery phase to lay down solid groundwork for a smooth launch that brought the brief to life.
Refreshed design following Aphasia-friendly principles for accessibility
Simplified navigation and page organization for a cleaner user experience
Streamlined admin backend for future flexibility
Launched in just 3 months, in budget and with all key needs met
The Results
248%
increased users
215%
increased event count
28%
increased organic search
“I felt like we spoke the same language, and that made it really easy to get what we needed. Clique were great communicators and that really made the difference.”
GREG THOMAS, WEBMASTER