International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
Web
Design
The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) needed a digital platform to showcase their 2023 Annual Report: Facing Up to Climate Change. The report highlights ICARDA’s achievements in climate-smart food systems transformation, donor contributions, and future objectives.
The challenge was to create an interactive, visually appealing website that engaged key stakeholders, including funders, partners, CGIAR, and ICARDA staff.
The website needed to serve as a marketing and resource mobilisation tool, connecting with ICARDA’s science themes while fostering transparency in operations. ICARDA’s transition to digital reports since 2020 required a platform that could improve accessibility, reduce environmental impact, and engage users in a dynamic way.
We followed a four-phase approach to design and develop ICARDA’s 2023 Annual Report website, ensuring it aligned with their branding and effectively communicated their goals.
Phase 1: Research and Analysis
We began by meeting with key stakeholders to define the goals and assess user behaviour from previous reports using Google Analytics. This research informed the content structure and design considerations for the new report.
Phase 2: Information Design
We crafted a clear information architecture and navigation system, producing wireframes through Figma for review. These wireframes prioritised usability and easy access to ICARDA’s research and achievements.
Phase 3: Experience Design
We developed two initial design concepts for the landing page and sub-pages, focusing on an engaging, highly visual layout with interactive elements. This design emphasised ICARDA’s climate-focused work and brought their 2023 achievements to life. The approved design was implemented across all report pages, optimised for multiple devices and browsers.
Phase 4: Build and Deploy
The website was built using WordPress, with custom illustrations, collages, and interactive infographics to elevate ICARDA’s story. Special attention was given to responsive design, ensuring optimal performance on all devices. We provided ICARDA’s web team with detailed documentation, training, and three months of post-launch support.
The innovative structure and design not only elevate ICARDA’s achievements in climate-smart food systems but also serve as a resource mobilisation tool, providing a platform that speaks directly to their key audiences.
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