Presidio

Creating a Powerful Tool for Inclusion, Engagement & Growth at the Presidio

The Presidio – a 1,500-acre national park in San Francisco famous for its beautiful trails, historic sites and Golden Gate Bridge views – approached Material to build a new digital experience and content management system (CMS) that would enable its digital ecosystem to grow over the next decade. Our goal was to redesign the website to help the Presidio attract a more diverse group of visitors, including people with mobility limitations.

Since the Presidio itself is constantly evolving – from changing seasons to new features and events – we needed to design a flexible site that could reflect these changes and help promote the restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses located in the park.

WHAT WE DID

Customer Journey Mapping
Product + Experience Design
Content + Creative
Brand Design
Omnichannel Experience

Approach

Grounding Design in Community Insight: We began with ethnographic research, community focus groups and future envisioning workshops to uncover the diverse needs of the Presidio’s stakeholders. These informed the creation of user personas and journey maps, ensuring every digital touchpoint was built to meet the requirements of a global visitor base.

Building a Scalable, Component-Based Architecture: Following a comprehensive technology audit, we delivered a three-year evolution roadmap and created a component-based modular architecture. This system accelerated content creation and elevated the editorial experience through cross-platform modules that can be leveraged beyond the web, fueling onsite kiosks, electronic signage and other print and digital communications.

Optimizing for Performance and Inclusivity: To ensure the new digital experience was as accessible as the park itself, we delivered enhanced multilingual capabilities and strict adherence to accessibility standards. We implemented a rigorous SEO strategy to boost site visibility and developed a comprehensive site performance measurement plan.

179%

Improvement in overall SEO ranking

16%

Increase user engagement YoY

100%

AA WACAG accessibility rating

Outcomes

The Material team partnered with the Presidio Trust to create the Park Partner—a website that acts as a guide for anyone planning a trip to the Presidio. The Park Partner proposes itineraries and self-guided adventures that align with specific interests, fitness levels and physical constraints. It highlights park features such as scenic views, trails, food vendors, beaches and historic landmarks, and maps out facilities for those with limited mobility. Our team was fully immersed throughout the launch, working with diverse stakeholders including community activists and organizers to reimagine the park’s digital ecosystem.

The Presidio team has seen impressive performance metrics since the site launched: scores of 100 in the accessibility and best practices categories for both desktop and mobile, SEO scores in the 90s and high overall performance rankings across devices. Overall, the site is ranking well for keywords such as attractions, beaches, camping, Golden Gate, hiking, trails, playgrounds and walks.

Have Questions? Get In Touch

CONTACT