Our goal was to master a journey that would rival the natural beauty of the Bahá'í temple and religion.

While most residents in Chicagoland know of the stunning Bahá’í temple, many may not be as familiar with the spiritual practice. The Bahá’í faith creates diverse and meaningful relationships across the globe that are based on their unifying values of inclusivity and openness. We were thrilled to collaborate with them on launching a new web experience that brings their core beliefs to life.

Reflecting the Beauty of a Community

Their previous website offered challenges for users to engage with the community and learn more about the faith. With rigorous research, visual design and development, our team created an inspiring journey rooted in the personal spirituality of the Bahá’ís of the United States. Followers of the faith, as well as those interested in learning more about the community, architecture, or practices, now have a platform to explore based on their unique level of interest.

Creating a True Journey

Before diving into design, our team focused on the user by developing the information architecture in a sitemap to serve as a blueprint for the entire website. Our initial research informed decisions about hierarchy and user flow which were reflected in the sitemap and acted as our compass. Once we had the information architecture, we created wireframes to further understand the user journey and overall user experience in both desktop and mobile.

Celebrating 200 Years of Oneness

We also had a new assignment after launch, to develop a special Stories functionality to celebrate their Bicentenary. On October 29th & 30th, 2019, Bahá’ís from around the world celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Bab, the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá’í Faith. To help document and share these festivities, the Bahá’í team in Evanston asked us to create a new experience on their website. The goal: to engage their community with photos, videos, podcasts, and blog posts from the celebrations in a live feed. Learn more on our blog.

Print Materials to Support the Digital Launch

With the launch of a new website, the Bahá’ís of the United States needed a companion print brochure to share the news at their annual convention. This gate-fold brochure was compact and highlighted the new narrative built around the community.