Prince George's County

The Client

Prince George’s County, Maryland, is a cultural and economic leader of tomorrow. Located in the heart of the Baltimore/Washington corridor, the County borders Washington, D.C., and is just 37 miles south of the city of Baltimore. Encompassing almost 500 square miles, Prince George's County has an urban atmosphere that still manages to provide a scenic and peaceful place to live, work, and play.

The Situation

Prince George's County wanted to enhance its online presence and “build the government site of the future.” It wanted to provide a digital experience that would surpass limitations, redefine expectations, and empower the people of Prince George's County.

The Challenge

The County’s previous web platform posed challenges for users, hindering access to critical services for individuals and businesses alike. Specifically, its CMS platform, CivicPlus, didn’t meet its needs, and the site’s search functionality and overall design and user experience fell short in directing visitors to crucial information. 

The Solution

The County tapped partner Tactis to lead its digital transformation, implementing a data-driven revamp that would provide greater accessibility. Together, the teams reviewed materials, performed technology audits, interviewed stakeholders, and conducted user research.

Next, Tactis developed user personas, created mood boards, and outlined a content strategy before defining the site's information architecture, creating wireframes, and proceeding with the design and development phases. Tactics also conducted quality assurance, provided training, performed usability and user acceptance testing, and addressed software bugs. With the development tasks complete, Tactis revamped the content, improved the user experience, and migrated to a Drupal website hosted on Acquia. This strategic transition provides Prince George’s County with the ability to deploy greater capabilities, connect with the community, and grow and scale in the future.

The Results

Acquia's platform allowed Prince George's County to successfully redesign its site with an innovative content strategy. With advanced search features, visitors can now quickly locate the information they need. Site Studio's dynamic capabilities facilitated a quick, precise development process that led to an intuitive, digitally modern web presence. 

The County is currently working with Tactis to use Acquia Personalization, which will allow it to deliver more personalized content to its audience, opening up endless opportunities for further community engagement. Additionally, the County is also exploring innovative ways to use Campaign Studio to interact with constituents and raise awareness of its many services.