Teal Media

Center for
American Progress

News & Politics / Nominee
Teal Media

News & Politics

"Our solution is rooted in an atomic design system that’s easy to navigate, flexible to build and super scalable — so content drives the layout, not the other way around." Teal Media
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Q: Can you describe your project and the concept behind it? A: CAP is an independent, nonpartisan policy institute dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas and strong leadership that drives action. CAP had a visually outdated legacy website and carried technical debt that would prevent them from achieving their engagement and conversion goals. Teal and CAP partnered to reimagine and rebuild the premier destination for progressive policy insights and expertise.
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Q: What influenced your chosen technical approach, and how did it go beyond past methods? A: The biggest challenge here was timeline. We had five months to rebuild CAP from scratch. We also needed a strong, foundational solution that could grow, scale and accommodate all types of content from basic articles to detailed reports to data visualizations and more. Our solution is rooted in an atomic design system that’s easy to navigate, flexible to build and super scalable — so content drives the layout, not the other way around.

When did you experience a breakthrough or an "a-ha" moment during this project?

The relationship between client and vendor makes all the difference. The scope and aggressive timeline would have killed us alone. But CAP was a partner to us every step of the way from discovery, through design, through development and launch. We truly functioned as one team, driving progress forward every day.


Q: What web technologies, tools, and resources did you use to develop this? A: CAP's site was built on WordPress using a custom HTML, CSS and JavaScript theme. The site was entirely hand-coded using a select group of lightweight frameworks and libraries and designed to be highly accessible and optimized for search engines.
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Q: How did the final product meet or exceed your expectations? A: The high caliber, efficient level at which both the CAP and Teal teams operated was unrivaled. We migrated 40,000+ pieces of legacy content spanning decades and architected the experience in a way where users can quickly find and navigate to the most timely, relevant content on the site. The launch process was seamless — CAP editors did not miss a beat in publishing the most pressing news the day of launch.

Q: Why is this an exciting time to create new digital experiences? How does your team fit into this? A: "1. The global pandemic has forced organizations to recognize the importance of digital and the role that digital places in them realizing their full potential. 2. Letting content drive the solution, not the design or the technology — all in service of the end user. 3. A new appreciation for kindness and connection in a remote world. Agencies that focus on people, culture and authentic relationships with clients will come out ahead.