RMBL’s Mission & Storytelling Needs
RMBL is more than a field station—it’s a living archive of ecological insight and a hub for advancing environmental science. The new website must communicate:
- Place: The inspirational setting of Gothic, CO
- Time: Nearly a century of long-term ecological research
- Community: Collaboration among researchers, students, and staff
- Impact: Real-world contributions to climate understanding, biodiversity protection, and policy
- Innovation: The Spatial Data Platform and scientific forecasting tools
Our design philosophy will ensure these pillars are woven into the visual language, micro-interactions, content hierarchy, and narrative structure of the rebuilt website.
Audience-Driven UX Approach
We use a “Primary Journeys” UX framework to structure navigation, task flows, and content architecture.
Public & Visitors
Key Tasks: Plan a visit, view maps, access events, and understand seasonal conditions
Solutions:
- “Plan Your Visit” hub
- Interactive map & virtual walk-through
- Seasonal highlights & weather/status module
- Clear visitor logistics & expectations
Donors & Supporters
Key Tasks: Understand impact, donate, explore Centennial priorities, and view recognition
Solutions:
- Campaign storytelling with data-rich impact modules
- Multi-channel giving flows (credit card, ACH, DAF widget)
- Donor spotlights & stewardship pathways
- Streamlined donation UX
Scientists & Researchers
Key Tasks: Access policies, datasets, logistics, Portal, collaboration info
Solutions:
- Persistent “Portal Access” CTA
- Filterable resource library
- Research program templates
- “Last updated” metadata for scientific documents
Students & Educators
Key Tasks: Learn programs, view timelines, understand eligibility, and apply
Solutions:
- Program landing pages with accordion FAQs
- Application CTAs & checklists
- Alumni stories and peer insights
- Downloadable resources
Staff, Board & Internal Community
Key Tasks: Access internal documents & the Community Portal
Solutions:
- Intuitive and consistent wayfinding
- Separation of public vs. internal information architecture
Project Goals & Success Metrics
We align our work with RMBL’s stated goals:
Success Criteria
- WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility
- Mobile-first design and improved Core Web Vitals
- Scalable CMS & component library
- WordPress + Elementor
- Story-driven narrative architecture
- Robust search, events, media, and donation modules
- Clear audience pathways and friction-free access to the Community Portal
KPIs We Will Instrument
- Task completion time (Donate, Apply, Plan Your Visit)
- Conversion metrics (applications, donations, newsletter signups)
- Search success rate
- Scroll depth & engagement
- Returning visitors & mobile task success
Scope of Work & Methodology
PHASE 1 — Discovery & Strategy
- Review RMBL content inventory + sitemap export
- Stakeholder workshops (Donors, Scientists, Educators, Public Programs)
- Audience journey mapping
- Information Architecture + Navigation design
- Validation of IA against full content inventory
Deliverables:
Discovery report, sitemap, navigation blueprint, content model
PHASE 2 — UX/UI Design
- Accessible design system (colors, contrast, typography)
- Template library (Home, Research, Education, Visit, Donate, Portal entry)
- Story-driven interactive components
- Micro-interactions highlighting place, season, and people
- Low-fidelity wireframes → clickable prototypes
Deliverables:
Wireframes, component library, visual design system, prototypes
PHASE 3 — Development
- Fully responsive build (WCAG 2.1 AA)
- Component-based CMS architecture
- Advanced on-site search
- Event calendar with filters
- News/blog + media library
- Donation integrations (card, ACH, DAF widget)
- Portal wayfinding
- Redirect mapping for existing content
Tech stack recommendation:
- WordPress (block-based editor)
- Elementor CMS w/custom page templates and modular design tools
- WordPress optimized hosting
- Cloudflare or equivalent CDN/WAF
PHASE 4 — Testing & Launch
- Accessibility testing (Accessible.com)
- Performance tuning for Core Web Vitals
- Structured QA for 20–30 high-impact pages
- Redirect implementation
- Soft launch/beta period
- Public launch & hotfix window
PHASE 5 — Training & Documentation
- Editor & Administrator training sessions
- Screencast video tutorials
- CMS style guide
- Content migration templates & checklists
PHASE 6 — Stabilization
- 90-day post-launch support
- Accessibility monitoring
- Bug fixes, content support, and optimization
Content Strategy & Migration Collaboration
RMBL will handle the bulk of content migration; our role includes:
- Template-ready content structures
- Content model mapping
- Migration utilities for structured content
- QA of all priority pages
- Redirects for all legacy URLs
Technical Requirements — Our Compliance Approach
We will meet or exceed all requirements, including:
- WCAG 2.1 AA
- Core Web Vitals (Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Interaction to Next Paint (INP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS))
- SEO & schema markup
- GA4 Analytics & Search Console
- Modern hosting with 99.9% uptime
- Full sitemap & redirect plan
- Video & image optimization
Budget
RMBL itemized, phase-based budget including:
- Discovery & Strategy
- UX/UI Design
- Development
- QA & Testing
- Training & Documentation
- Launch Support
- Post Launch Support
- Optional Ongoing Support Packages
Timeline to May 2026 Launch
Draft timeline (refined during Discovery):
PhaseDates
- Discovery Dec 2025 – Jan 2026
- UX/UI Design Jan 2026
- Development Feb – Mar 2026
- Content Migration + QA April 2026
- Soft Launch Early-May 2026
- Public Launch May 15, 2026
Relevant Experience
We bring extensive experience with:
- Deeply engaged in the Crested Butte non-profit community, with hands-on project experience supporting organizations such as CB State of Mind, Crested Butte Avalanche Center, Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, EMBA, STOR, and CB Nordic.
- Extensive experience collaborating with international NGOs, including the International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) and the International Evaluation Academy (IEAC), supporting their global missions through thoughtful digital strategy and technical execution.
- Proven ability to deliver high-quality websites and digital tools tailored to the needs of mission-driven organizations, ensuring accessibility, clarity of message, and ease of use for diverse stakeholders.
- Strong alignment with non-profit values, driven by a genuine belief in and support for the missions that strengthen communities—locally and globally.
- Track record of long-term, trust-based partnerships, contributing to organizations where resource stewardship, transparency, and impact storytelling are essential.
- Conservation and ecological nonprofits
- Donor-centric campaign sites with multi-channel giving
- Portals, resource libraries, and data-heavy content
- CRM integration
- E-Commerce
- HTML, CSS
- UX/UI
Portfolio examples available upon request.
Conclusion
RMBL’s Centennial represents a rare moment to elevate your story—and we are excited to help build a platform worthy of the next 100 years of place-based science.
We would be honored to partner with RMBL and look forward to the next steps.