Katowickie Inwestycje Spółka Akcyjna
Accessible website for public utility
KISA – Katowickie Inwestycje Spółka Akcyjna is a company of the City of Katowice, which organizes and supervises investments in Katowice. The client is responsible for the projects mainly related to the construction of road, water, and municipal infrastructure.
As Katowice is a developing city, a lot of various investments are going on. Many of them take place simultaneously, and due to their complexity, the start and end dates often change. Despite how compounded the topic is, the city residents must be informed about everything that happens. It’s because investments impact residents’ lives so they are fully entitled to know what difficulties or changes they have to be prepared for.
Thus the challenge was to prepare the information architecture which presents various types of information (that change frequently) in a legible and understandable way. Additionally, due to the multitude of investments, the website must efficiently filter and extract elements searched for by the user.
The second important aspect was to design and develop an accessible website in accordance with WCAG2 rules. KISA is a public institution and according to Polish law is required to have an accessible page.
The developed website is a product that represents the client as a modern and professional institution, but above all, it’s a product for city residents who can find out what happens in the city.
The website is designed with respect to the brand guidelines – colors, shapes, and illustrations. It’s also visually related to the city – the illustrations present the characteristics of Katowice’s elements.
The KISA website is a product that is also moderator friendly. As already stated, investments are a dynamic field, thus website owners have to update the information frequently.
The refinement in terms of website accessibility deserves special recognition. If you are interested in the exact details, please visit this article, which precisely describes the solutions we have used on the site to make it accessible and meet the WCAG2 standards.
We care about accessibility at the level of design and code, but we also encouraged KISA to ensure accessibility through friendly content exposure, for example, by choosing not to place text on photos but to use explanatory descriptions under the images. The effect we got is very satisfactory for us and the client. – Bartek Urbanek, full stack developer
Important functions
Informing residents about investments taking place in Katowice.
Enabling an easy search of the particular investments – filtration categories adapted to the user needs and project dependencies.
Giving a base (the archive) of finished projects.
Allowing all the users to use the website equally – WCAG2 accessibility requirements met.
The website helps to contact the company – contact form and the information on how to reach the office.
Key features
Investments filtering
Users can filter the investments by a few most important categories, including a map. The filtration also gives access to the archive with already finished projects.
Purchasing filtering
Users search for the information in two ways, through the search box by entering the name or words describing the purchases or by filtering with the use of categories.
Accessible data presentation
The website data and important information are introduced in various ways: by words, as well as icons, buttons, or other visual elements. In addition, the visual message by means of icons or colors enhances the accessibility of the website.
Possibility of downloading the additional materials
The client as a public authority must meet the legal requirements of openness – access to data, and announcing tenders or purchases in public. Therefore, the materials on the website must be presented in a legible and accessible way with an easy downloading option.
Benefits
The users are informed what investments take place but also how they can be affected – traffic disruptions, and alternative solutions.
Thanks to the contact form and thoughtfully arranged information about the company, the website plays the role of a communication bridge between client and user.
The website creates a professional image of the modern public institution.
Accessibility solutions implemented take care of compliance with the law by the client.
Let's talk
Do you have an idea for website? Or maybe you want to discuss other IT topics? We can drop you an e-mail or if preferable, you can arrange a free call for a selected date.
