Wassaic Project

We've led a redesign/build of wassaicproject.org twice. The latest version, launched in 2023, features:

A revamped home page
~60% of WP's site traffic is to the home page, so we built the home page to serve as a general introduction to the organization. (A good rule of thumb: if you're not the MoMA, don't put an exhibition or a "latest news" section that gets updated every two years at the top of the site. Explain what you do first.)

Cleaner structure, easier navigation
From the start, we thought hard about the information architecture of the site. For example, rather than split information about WP's residency programs between /residency and subpages like /residency/summer-residency, we designed /residency as a landing page of sorts: beyond some text about WP's approach and some testimonials, the page is designed to get you quickly to the information you need on more specific subpages.

Then, we made those architectural decisions invisible. Rather than try to enforce a prescriptive idea of how users should navigate the site, we created navigational tools that ensure every page on the site is accessible from anywhere else.

The result is that visitors are never more than two clicks away from a page, but never have to spend time learning how to get around.

Fluff-free copy
We supported those structural decisions with concise copy that adapts to its context. The application FAQ is to-the-point and includes sidenav tools to help visitors skip to what they need; the home and support pages can be just a bit more flowery.

Powerful automations
‍Many routine site updates happen automatically. For example, open call dates for WP's programs are stored in one central CMS field that auto-populates everywhere on the site: the applications page, banners, FAQs, etc. When an open call ends, those banners automatically come down and the application dates revert to a broader "Mid-January to Late March" timeline. For exhibitions, big summer shows, smaller winter shows, and solo shows all have subtle, automatic differences. And so on.

These things are mostly invisible to visitors, but make the site easy to update a) quickly and b) without introducing design inconsistencies.

Improved speed, accessibility, and SEO
WP's site scores 100/100 on SEO, Accessibility, and Best Practices on Google's PageSpeed Insights benchmarking tool. A top-of-site video and some Javascript means the site only scores in the high 90s on performance: a tradeoff we were happy to make.

And more:‍

• More donate buttons
• More visible newsletter signups
• More emphasis on WP's incredible photography archives
• Big, readable fonts
• A "library" page with interviews, artist pages, and a curated archive of ephemera
• No cookies, full respect for visitors' privacy

For years, we've acted as the public-facing voice of the Wassaic Project. In addition to all of the copy on wassaicproject.org, we provide:

Editorial
‍Over the years, we've edited two books, Now, more than ever (2020) and Secret of the Friendly Woods (2021); a publication of interviews on newsprint, All Out / All In (2022); an art workbook for kids in English and Spanish. From 2018–2021, we also conducted and published dozens of long-form interviews with artists-in-residence and exhibition artists.

Fundraising materials
‍We've written and provide direction for WP's Annual Appeal, Annual Report, donor solicitation letters, and benefit invitations during years in which the organization's budget has more than doubled.

A highlight: co-leading WP's successful 15-year anniversary campaign, including creating a tiered giving program and ghostwriting a major donor solicitation letter co-signed by Agnes Gund.

Slide decks
‍I do a lot of behind-the-scenes work on intro decks for donors and granting organizations, sales decks for art buyers, board reports, all that.

Exhibition texts + artist statements
‍WP gives their artists freedom to experiment in their exhibitions, so we write exhibition texts that establish a mood rather than cram everyone into a curatorial box. We also edit artist statements for use in those exhibitions, cutting through the art lingo grab bag to provide viewers with accessible ways into the work.

Social media + newsletters
From 2020–2024, we managed the organization’s Instagram (~32k followers) and weekly email marketing lists (~10k subs). Today, we oversee the style guidelines for these platforms in an advisory capacity.

Design + photography
Everything we write is underpinned our relationships with the Wassaic Project's outside designers and photographers. We believe in creating a context, then writing for it.

In 2023–2024, we co-led implementation on the organization’s largest grant to date: a Bloomberg Digital Accelerator. We scoped, wrote an RFP, and supervised a nonprofit consulting firm who:

• Integrated WP's Shopify, TicketTailor, and Stripe accounts with Salesforce using Zapier and Salesforce Flows. As a result, all incoming art and merch sales, POS sales, ticket sales, donations now automatically generate Salesforce opportunities.
• Integrated Mailchimp with Salesforce to speed up communications with donors.
• Built Salesforce automations and reports that synthesize those opportunities into a Quickbooks-friendly format.
• Refreshed the design of WP's Salesforce instance by removing unused fields and cleaning up page layouts.

Since launching the project, we've continued maintaining and improving the Wassaic Project's tech stack. Recent projects include:

• Implementing a program management solution that allows WP to intake information about artists, students, and artworks; track tax forms; and facilitate outbound payments to artists.
• Implementing a document generation solution that allows WP to create, modify, and track contracts for external parties.
• Cleaning up five years of historical data in Salesforce.
• Automating invoicing in Shopify.
• Introducing a password management system to improve security and facilitate easier access for contractors.