South Philly Food Co-op
Project Overview
The South Philly Food Co-op needed a new website to support its growing community and clearly communicate its mission, membership model, and events. The goal was to create a site from the ground up that would serve as a digital hub for members, prospective members, and the surrounding neighborhood.
The Challenge
As a community-driven organization, the co-op needed a website that could:
- Clearly explain what a food co-op is and how membership works
- Highlight its mission and community values
- Promote events, news, and updates
- Be easy for non-technical staff to manage
Because this was a new website, the challenge wasn’t improving an existing structure — it was defining the structure from scratch and ensuring it aligned with both user needs and organizational goals.
Discovery & Strategy
The project began with stakeholder conversations to understand the co-op’s priorities and target audience. Key insights included:
- Many visitors would be unfamiliar with the co-op model
- Membership education was critical
- Events and blog content would be ongoing engagement tools
From this research, I defined the core user journeys:
- Learn what the co-op is
- Understand how to become a member
- Stay informed about events and news
These journeys directly informed the information architecture.
Information Architecture
I created a sitemap that organized content into clear, user-focused categories. Priority was given to:
- About & Mission
- Membership Information
- Events
- Blog / News
- Contact & Location
The goal was to reduce friction for first-time visitors while still supporting returning members looking for updates.
Wireframing & UX Design
Low-fidelity wireframes were developed to establish content hierarchy and layout patterns. Focus areas included:
- Clear calls-to-action for membership
- Prominent event listings
- Simple, intuitive navigation
- Mobile-first responsiveness
These wireframes helped validate layout decisions before moving into visual design and development.
Visual Design & Development
I designed and built a custom WordPress theme tailored to the co-op’s brand and community feel. The site was:
- Fully responsive across devices
- Structured for easy content updates
- Designed to support blog posts and event listings
- Built with scalability in mind
Choosing WordPress ensured the co-op could manage content independently without requiring ongoing developer support.
Outcome
The final website established a strong digital presence for the South Philly Food Co-op and provided:
- A clear explanation of the co-op model
- A streamlined path to membership
- A platform for community engagement through events and blog content
- A maintainable CMS tailored to staff needs
By building the site from the ground up, the project created a foundation that supports both growth and long-term sustainability.