IMS, an Internet application development and consulting company based in Madison, WI, announces the completion of work on a custom Web application for the Tobacco Control Resource Center for Wisconsin (TCRCW). The public Web site, at www.TobWis.org, is a portal for Wisconsin policymakers, youth service professionals, business owners, and health care providers who are involved in tobacco control issues.
“For a content heavy site like TobWis.org, information architecture and site usability are crucial to the overall success of the portal,” said, IMS Creative Director, Jim Witkins. “Our goal is to help visitors find what they need or they’re less likely to return. For that reason IMS worked closely with TCRCW to identify target audiences and priority content in order to segment data in a more meaningful way for users. We also concentrated on building better search tools, devising multiple ways for users to search and display results.”
In addition to the creative and information design, IMS developed and implemented a content management system which allows TCRCW to organize and easily maintain their large collection of data. Site administrators also use the system to manage requests for free resource materials which are available as hard copies or downloadable pdf’s. Qualified visitors can also order items like books, cd’s, and videos, from their lending library resource. An automated email process alerts users of their order status and due dates.
“We’re excited to launch the new TobWis.org, which will greatly improve the usefulness of our site and enhance our mission to promote effective tobacco control,” said TCRCW Director, Kathryn Wolf. “From start to finish IMS managed the complexity of our project as a trusted partner, providing valued recommendations and solutions throughout the process.”
