Website Revamp

Recently, we received some feedback from members that the information on our website wasn’t quite clear or adequate to help newcomers know what to expect at our meets. We had a quick revamp of our website in response, adding some more information where necessary, and just generally changing how we maintain the website. Here are some quick notes about what we did for our website, and what we’re hoping to get from this new setup.

What Was Missing

While most people felt that the website did have key information, like when and where our meets took place and what our Code of Conduct is, it nevertheless missed some key information to help newcomers know what to expect. This included a more detailed description of the running order of our events, advice on how to facilitate or pitch games, and guidance on the kind of play culture we hope to foster. Some of the information that members had asked for was already on the FAQ, which just goes to show that it was not working very well.

Why the Revamp

There was also a technical reason for the revamp: James made our old website as part of a code portfolio when he was applying for developer jobs. He didn’t have that much of a need to maintain it himself any more, and he suggested someone else might need to take over maintaining it. However, he made it using a development framework I didn’t know anything about, in a programming language I wasn’t very familiar with, and with a level of nous and flair that was well beyond anything I could understand. So I needed to re-build the website using a framework I was more familiar with.

What’s Next

This new website also has some additional features, like a blog where we can share writing or post articles from our zine. There are some technical benefits, like having dark mode and light mode colour schemes, and being able to collaboratively maintain and update the site using GitHub. I will at some point write a guide on how to update and maintain the website as part of the documentation. Overall, though, I hope this new website makes it easier for folks to hear about the club, know about how it runs, and come along to our events.