Website Development & digital hub

Greenfields Community Housing

A consumer-led, responsive website development that aligned seamlessly with fresh new branding and encouraged users to move to digital.

“I am delighted with the phenomenal increase in our website usage. I think we can all give ourselves a big pat on the back for this result! Thank you for all your help and support. Website usage is increasing; in October, there were 19,694 page views, this is up from 15,300 in April this year just after the new website launched.”

Paula Briggs, Head of Customer Excellence

• Create a website that embodies Greenfields’ brand, putting their values and the consumer first
• Produce a digital hub for their residents that is available across multiple platforms
• Website features include a self-service portal, live support and video guides

• Greenfields Community Housing is a community-centred housing association working across the Braintree District
• One of four Community Gateway Associations in the country
• Greenfields provides around 8,500 homes for rent, shared ownership or leasehold

The Client

Greenfields Community Housing is one of four Community Gateway Associations in the country committed to empowering its residents to make key decisions about their homes.

As a community-centred housing association, Greenfields provides safe and secure homes with a range of tenures, including properties for rent, shared ownership and leasehold. They currently provide around 8,500 homes and have plans to own and manage up to 9000 homes by 2020.

Following the rebranding work we undertook, there was a requirement for a new website as a vehicle for their brand identity. It was vital for the Greenfields’ website to embody their values and put the consumer first.

The Challenge

Greenfields’ existing website, while full of important information, was difficult to navigate and, as a result, not widely used amongst residents.

Greenfields wanted the site to be a digital hub for their residents; a platform for community engagement as well as supplying documentation and support to residents. Our key objective was to create an easy-to-use site, available on multiple platforms, that would slot seamlessly into residential life.

What we did

We created an entirely new site with Greenfields’ brand identity and values at its core.

Drawing upon insight gained during the rebranding process, we designed an intuitive website catering to the needs of both residents and Greenfields’ staff. We worked with Greenfields to identify their core messaging and adopted a tone of voice that reflects community, pride, collaboration and warmth.

Using simple illustrations that invoke feelings of contented family life, and emotive real-life photography, we reinforced the key messages and brand values by aligning the visual elements with the brand's tone of voice.

What we achieved

Greenfields prides itself on being more than just a community-centred housing association; they are dedicated to improving their residents’ lives.

Part of doing this includes providing a website suited to resident needs. With this in mind, we implemented features including:

• A self-service portal, providing residents with 24/7 online access to vital services such as reporting and scheduling repairs, and checking rent balance.
• Live support, using the site residents can contact customer support.
• Video guides, providing residents with information in numerous formats, demonstrates Greenfields’ commitment to supporting residents.

"A crucial part of the re-development of Greenfields' website was to make the first step towards their digital transformation. Our solution not only needed to reflect the new brand tone but also comfortably promote the transition to digital within their diverse customer groups. "

Bruce Burgoyne, Creative Director - Mackman