The Foundation Schools
What the client had to say
“Our old website was clunky, not user-friendly, and didn’t look like a school! Design TLC understood our vision, designed a beautiful new website to clearly display our services, and streamlined our contact forms process.”
– Foundation School Client, Morgana Finney
Objective
The Foundation Schools, a network of therapeutic day schools in Maryland, approached Design TLC to overhaul their outdated WordPress website. While their existing platform provided a solid starting point, the site lacked clarity, visual appeal, and a strong user experience. The homepage failed to convey the school’s mission, key information was difficult to find, and the navigation was clunky and hard to use. The backend also needed structural improvements for better content organization. The goal was to create a vibrant, accessible website that better reflected the professionalism and heart of The Foundation Schools and supported ongoing updates by their internal team.
Our goals were to:
- Redesign an outdated WordPress site to reflect a professional, mission-driven school
- Improve homepage messaging, visuals, and usability
- Restructure the site navigation and content for clarity and ease of access
- Streamline backend organization for easier content management
- Create custom templates for staff, board, jobs, and school locations
- Strengthen SEO and support ongoing performance monitoring
Approach
Transforming the Home Page:
Our approach focused on a complete visual overhaul. We incorporated vibrant and compelling photography, infusing brighter hues and a fresh accent color that harmonized with their brand logo. Subtle graphic shapes, inspired by the logo’s design, were integrated, adding polish and professionalism while enhancing user-friendliness.
Revamped Sitemap and Navigation:
We restructured the sitemap to logically group content, providing a more informative and accessible portrayal of the school’s locations. Leveraging custom post types with dedicated templates, we streamlined the process of updating details for each of The Foundation Schools’ four Maryland locations. Quick links in the header were added for staff login and enrollment inquiries, and dropdown menus optimized subpage navigation.
Tailored Page Templates and Content Presentation:
To maintain consistency, we created custom post types for staff, board members, and open positions. Each location now boasts an easily updatable and uniform presentation through dedicated page templates. Additionally, we installed a WordPress plugin to display Annual Reports as easily navigable embedded PDFs, offering a seamless reading experience on the webpage.
Enhanced SEO and Performance Tracking:
Collaborating closely with The Foundation Schools’ staff, we helped them write custom meta descriptions for every webpage to improve their appearance in Google search results. Keyword research pinpointed opportunities to bolster their search rankings. Post-launch, we submitted the updated sitemap to Google Search Console, providing guidance on tracking and monitoring search performance in the coming months.
Outcome
The Foundation Schools’ new website is modern, professional, and user-friendly—better representing the mission-driven work of the organization. The redesigned homepage now clearly communicates who they are and what they offer, and navigation improvements have made the site far more accessible to families and staff. Thanks to custom post types and templates, updates to locations, staff, and job openings are simple and consistent. The site is optimized for search engines and positioned for ongoing visibility and growth. With positive feedback from their internal team and community, the website now serves as a powerful tool for outreach, engagement, and school operations.
Key outcomes include:
- Significantly improved site usability and access to key information
- Empowered staff with a maintainable backend and reusable templates
- Boosted SEO and search visibility with targeted meta descriptions and sitemap updates
- Enhanced engagement with clear calls to action and better content structure
- Ongoing support ensures the site remains current and effective
