Discovery & Planning • In collaboration with internal staff, conduct stakeholder interviews and user research with representation from all primary user groups, including first-time homebuyers, mortgage loan officers, and multifamily housing developers. • Facilitate user journey mapping sessions to identify key tasks, frustrations, and content needs for each audience type • Conduct website analytics review and identify trends in current usage, drop-off points, and high-priority content • Provide a report of findings and recommended solutions Design & User Experience • Propose a complete visual refresh aligned with existing brand guidelines and tailored to the needs of CalHFA's core audiences • Design a modern and intuitive layout with clear navigation paths and accessible visual styling • Create responsive wireframes or mockups for key templates and page types across devices • Apply accessibility and user experience principles to all design elements • Include at least one round of stakeholder follow up and iteration based on input Development • Recommend and configure a CMS solution compatible with CalHFA’s AWS hosting platform • CMS must prioritize: o Security o Scalability o Modular architecture to allow future feature expansion without major overhauls o Customizable components for adaptability o Performance optimization (load time benchmarks, caching strategies) o Emerging technologies (e.g., AI-driven accessibility tools) • CMS must support: o User roles and permissions (e.g., admin, editor, contributor access) o Version control and editorial workflow (e.g., content approval and revision tracking) o Responsive design across devices (mobile, tablet, desktop) • Back-end & front-end development must include: o Clean, well-structured HTML and fully accessible code meeting or exceeding WCAG 2.2 AA standards o Integration support for third-party tools/APIs o Performance optimization (e.g., caching strategies, load balancing, reduced page load times) o SEO best practices (structured data, metadata, alt text, clean URLs) o Security protocols (SSL/TLS, authentication, protection against vulnerabilities like SQL injection) • Maintenance & support expectations: o Support for CMS and plugin updates with minimal downtime o Inclusion of a staging/test environment o Integration with analytics tools (e.g., SiteImprove) o Documentation and audit results for accessibility and technical implementation
