AIM WA Website

On average, websites go through redesigns and overhauls every 3 years, to match pace with emerging trends, progressive technologies and best practice standards. And all of this before you factor in the ever-changing needs of the business or organisation behind the website. In 2022, the Australian Institute of Management WA (AIM WA) found themselves facing just such a perfect storm: an increasing list of services to promote and sell through their website, which itself was several years out of date. From one end to another, their web platform was struggling to sustain the growing needs of the organisation.

AIM WA approached Anthologie to partner with their team, to help them understand, define and design a new online face for doing business across their organisation. Ultimately, they wanted to bring clarity and prominence back to their extensive service offering, to adequately reflect their standing in the market.

We set out in the first instance to understand the needs of the business and its internal stakeholders, as well as the audiences who were likely to engage AIM WA for training and events.

This by itself was no small task: the organisation signalled several key strategic objectives, capably represented in many cases by entirely separate arms of the organisation, with their own respective needs and concerns. Adding to that, given the breadth of services offered – from short courses and corporate events to higher education and organisational development – the typical audiences were themselves unusually diverse.

Our work over several months revolved around finding the most effective, empathetic overlap between these two worlds. Using the organisation’s strategic pillars and our knowledge of audiences, how could we organise such an extensive catalogue of material in such a way that it would serve all comers with a minimum of complexity?

There’s no substitute for time spent listening to those involved and affected. Extensive user workshops, focus groups and stakeholder working sessions helped us map a path to a clearer online offering, including revisions to site’s formidable information architecture and navigation approach, as well as a fine balance of messaging and promotion on the site’s high-traffic areas.

While we ultimately produced a comprehensive website design and functional guide for the AIM WA team to build, the project’s true success came from the strength of the working relationship, and the strategic rationale that grew as a result. Anthologie operated openly and candidly with AIM WA’s highly motivated working group, allowing for honest conversations and tactical negotiation on the project’s challenges throughout.

The end result sees a modern web presence for a well-respected industry leader, and a firm platform from which future initiatives can emerge.