Background
The Hot Springs Village Property Owner’s Association (POA) contacted Designs Group Consulting (DGC) to develop a website for their Urban Deer Hunt program. The website needed to serve multiple purposes, including capturing registrations for the hunt, providing essential information, and simplifying internal processes for the POA's IT department. Additionally, the project was partly paid and partly pro bono as part of DGC’s commitment to giving back to the community.
Challenges
The primary challenge was creating a website that looked professional and aligned with the POA’s brand and handled sensitive registration data and streamlined operations for the IT department. The POA wanted a system that was simple to manage internally, allowing the IT team to easily access and cross-check registration data while also presenting all necessary hunt-related details to participants.
The solution also needed to be user-friendly so that the POA could activate and deactivate the registration form each hunting season with minimal effort. The goal was to ensure that the entire registration process was seamless, reducing administrative workload and operational costs for the POA.
Solution
DGC designed and developed a website that was visually appealing, easy to navigate, and highly functional for the POA and the hunt participants. The website was built with the following key features:
- Registration Integration: Using JotForm, DGC integrated a dynamic registration form that captures detailed participant data. This form allows participants to sign up quickly, and the data is automatically collected and available for download by the IT department. The IT team could cross-check this information against their existing system, ensuring accuracy and preventing errors.
- Content and Resources: The website also included key hunting information such as:some text
- Hunting Rules: Clear, easy-to-understand guidelines to ensure safe and responsible participation.
- Maps: Detailed maps of the designated hunting areas.
- FAQs: Answers to common questions to help participants navigate the hunt process.
- Partners: Information about partners involved in the event, supporting local businesses and organizations.
- Ease of Use: One main objective was ensuring the POA could manage the website with minimal technical knowledge. DGC implemented a simple Content Management System (CMS) that allowed the POA to easily update content, activate or deactivate the registration form at the start and end of the season, and maintain all relevant information without needing external support.
- Seasonal Activation: The JotForm integration allowed the POA to activate the registration form when the hunt registration season began and deactivate it once the season ended. This flexibility reduced administrative time and eliminated the need for manual form handling.
Results
The new website was a resounding success for the Hot Springs Village Urban Deer Hunt in the 2024-2025 season:
- Streamlined Operations: The registration process was simplified for participants and the IT department. The POA could easily capture and manage all the registration data without relying on additional administrative processes.
- Reduced Costs: The POA significantly reduced internal costs associated with registration management and communication by automating the registration process and minimizing manual data entry.
- Improved User Experience: The website provided an intuitive and seamless experience for participants, making it easy to register and access all the information they needed about the hunt.
- Internal Efficiency: The IT department could download and incorporate participant data into their system, ensuring everything was accurately tracked and cross-checked.
Conclusion
The Urban Deer Hunt Website project was a successful collaboration between DGC and the Hot Springs Village Property Owner’s Association, resulting in a website that streamlined operations, improved user experience, and reduced costs for the POA. By leveraging modern web technologies like JotForm and a user-friendly CMS, DGC delivered a solution that met the POA’s needs during the hunting season and for future events.