The ROAR Center leaps forward with new website and outreach strategy

The ROAR Center’s previous website was a handful of static pages based on a University of Maryland page template. Its content wasn’t tailored for survivors seeking services. It didn’t communicate The ROAR Center’s substantial value and impact effectively to partners and supporters. Factual information and resource lists had fallen out of date. Most importantly, their previous website made it harder — not easier — for survivors to find resources and understand how ROAR could help them.

Rethinking Content and Messaging

We worked with leadership and staff at The ROAR Center to hone in on their priority audiences and how best to reach them. We planned and executed a complete overhaul and expansion of their website information architecture and content. The new site is intentionally oriented first toward people seeking ROAR services, then partners and supporters.

In the areas of the site aimed toward service seekers, we crafted the text to be accessible to folx who are not native English speakers or may have limited literacy skills. Other areas of the website intended for partners and supporters use language more familiar to service providers and funders.

ROAR is unique not only for the direct services it provides, but also for the wider impact it creates by strengthening community partnerships and advocating for policy change that protects the rights of crime survivors. We made sure this website highlights these aspects of ROAR’s work as well.

Friendly and Comprehensive Resources

In addition to building out the informational areas of the site, we created a specialized collection of resources for survivors to use to get help whether they qualify for ROAR services or not. The resources library is organized into categories and subcategories with keyword search as well. This feature was carefully designed to provide the most useful information in a streamlined format that requires less upkeep by ROAR staff.

Intelligent Brand Expansion

Starting from the brand foundations we created with The ROAR Center’s logo and collateral, we continued to build out their look and feel with new treatments for images, background textures and more. Everything is designed to create a colorful and dynamic vibe that helps service seekers feel they’ll be understood and supported at ROAR.

Telling ROAR’s Impact Story

ROAR’s previous website lacked storytelling around ROAR as an organization — its mission, staff, impact, news and how supporters can get involved. This information is critical to building relationships with partners that help ROAR continue growing. We developed the positioning and content in these areas with plans to expand their impact story even further as more data becomes available.