Executive summary
The client’s single largest digital investment needed a technical platform built to support rural communities' voices across a main section, lifehack section and blog section. Frontwalker led the Technology sub-project, ensuring the platform was developed as effectively as possible in coordination with parallel content, testing, business and communication workstreams.
The challenge
1. Business challenge
The client was undertaking a high-visibility digital investment that needed to modernise its well-known brand for a mobile-first audience, while coordinating multiple parallel workstreams with the technology track.
Key business challenges included:
- The digital product represented the client’s largest single digital development investment, carrying high visibility and expectations.
- The product needed to modernise the well-known brand while clarifying its position for a mobile-first audience.
- Multiple parallel sub-projects (Content, User Testing, Business, Communication) needed to be tightly coordinated with the Technology track
- The technical platform needed to be built mobile-first from day one, while still working well on desktop
2. Technical challenge
The technical platform needed to combine multiple technologies and coordinate development across external suppliers, while maintaining consistent requirements, continuous quality assurance, and parallel development across all three product sections.
Key technical challenges included:
- The platform needed to combine WordPress with the Django (Python) framework to support the product's three sections
- A coherent requirements picture for the technical platform needed to be maintained across multiple external development suppliers
- Quality assurance needed to be ensured continuously across deliveries from external suppliers
- Design and technical development needed to proceed in parallel across all three product sections simultaneously
What we did
1) Frontwalker’s approach and solution
Frontwalker led the Technology sub-project, delivering the technical platform while coordinating development across the product’s three sections and working closely with internal teams and external development suppliers.
2) Delivered solution
- A technical platform for the digital media product built on WordPress and Django, supporting the main site, lifehack section and blog.
- Coordinated procurement support, from tender documentation through to supplier evaluation.
- A quality-assured, on-time first release of the digital media product.
3) Engineering & delivery
- Leadership of the Technology sub-project in continuous, close coordination with Content, User Testing, Business and Communication sub-projects
- An agile approach applied in parallel across all three sections of the new site, alongside parallel design and graphic work
- Ongoing commissioning and quality assurance of deliveries from the project's external development suppliers
4) Collaboration model
- Intensive, continuous collaboration with both internal sub-project teams and the external supplier's own project management
- Direct reporting into the project's steering group and publishing leadership
Business impact / results
Outcomes achieved
- The first version of the digital media product launched on schedule.
- Further releases were planned, building on the delivered technical foundation.
- A coordinated, on-budget delivery of the client’s largest digital investment to date.
