United States District Court: The Southern District of New York
Client Info
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has a storied history that even predates the U.S. Supreme Court. Originally named the District Court of New York, the court’s first presiding judge was appointed by President George Washington in 1789.
Frequently in the news for high-profile cases, the breadth of the court’s civil docket is far reaching and includes cases in the area of civil rights, labor and employment laws, antitrust, securities laws, environmental laws, and patent, trademark and copyright. Criminal cases include bank robbery, financial fraud, immigration frauds, distribution of illegal substances, and racketeering.
The Southern District of New York now encompasses counties of New York, Bronx, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan, and hears cases in Manhattan, White Plains, and Poughkeepsie.
Industry
Top challenge
Top solution
What We Did
Starting with a comprehensive Discovery Workshop, Promet Source collaborated with SDNY to transform their entire web presence. We replaced their difficult-to-maintain, home-grown site with a visually engaging framework built on Drupal 8. The solution identified distinct user groups and provided clear pathways for navigation while maintaining the dignity and prestige of the court's history.
Enhanced User Experience
The new persona-based categorization system revolutionized how users interact with the site. Jurors, attorneys, and individuals seeking information can now easily identify their needs and drill down to relevant resources through intuitive filtering and refinement options. This targeted approach significantly reduced time spent searching for information and improved overall user satisfaction.
Empowered Content Management
The implementation of Drupal 8 transformed how court staff manages website content. Non-technical content editors can now easily update and maintain the site through a user-friendly interface with varying permission levels. This capability ensures the website remains current and relevant without requiring technical expertise or external support.
Streamlined Resource Access
The new system introduced a logical organization structure for hundreds of documents and forms. Through careful taxonomy implementation and intuitive filtering options, users can now quickly locate and access needed resources. This organization system significantly improved the efficiency of document retrieval and reduced user frustration.
The Result
The transformation earned recognition with a 26th Annual Communicator Award of Distinction in 2019. The new website successfully balances modern functionality with the court's prestigious heritage, providing an accessible, user-friendly experience that serves diverse user groups effectively while maintaining the dignity of the institution.
Strategy & Research
- Discovery Workshop facilitation
- Information architecture design
- Taxonomy development
Design & UX
- Modern design language development
- Template system creation
- User interface redesign
- Persona-based navigation design
Development
- Drupal 8 implementation
- Content type creation
- Content migration
- Permission level setup
Content & Organization
- Document organization system
- Menu structure refinement
- Content categorization
- Resource filtering system implementation
Let’s start your project
Ready to modernize your organization's web presence while preserving its institutional integrity? Let's start with a Discovery Workshop to map out your transformation journey.
