The British Army has unveiled its revamped public website, developed in collaboration with Manchester-based digital agency, Cantarus.
- Announced last year, the partnership focused on modernising the Army’s digital presence, ensuring it remains a key source of information and support.
- Significant improvements include updated navigation, interactive features, and compliance with digital accessibility standards.
- The upgraded site aims to cater to the diverse needs of its audience, including military personnel, families, and historians.
- This digital transformation aligns with the Army’s strategy to innovate and engage effectively with its audience.
The British Army has launched a new website in partnership with the digital agency Cantarus, a project announced last year aimed at modernising the Army’s online presence. This initiative serves as a crucial part of the Army’s digital strategy, enhancing its ability to provide information, support recruitment, and engage with military families.
Cantarus was tasked with designing, developing, and delivering the new website, ensuring alignment with the Army’s evolving digital and security requirements. Their efforts focused on migrating to a more recent, long-term supported version of the Umbraco CMS, a platform known for its flexibility and robustness. This was part of the Army’s most significant transformation in over two decades.
The new website is not merely an aesthetic overhaul. Key features include an entirely redesigned navigation system that simplifies user interaction, as well as the incorporation of interactive tools and 3D objects to enrich user experience. This data-driven approach was guided by a comprehensive user research and testing programme to uncover and address key issues and insights.
Rob Helsby, Creative Director at Cantarus, shared that the design team followed principles of modernity, excitement, and unity, influencing every aspect of the website from core functionality to interaction design language. “It was an honour for us to take such a globally recognised brand and help drive them forward online,” Helsby remarked.
The website caters to a wide audience, from military historians to the families of serving soldiers and veterans, providing a platform that meets the needs of its users. Enhanced content presentation and state-of-the-art navigation ensure the delivery of immersive content that supports the Army’s objectives of accurate information dissemination and recruitment.
Accessibility also played a key role, with the redesign adhering to WCAG 2.2 AA standards, guaranteeing that the website is usable by everyone, including those with disabilities.
Overall, the enhancements ensure that the British Army’s website is at the forefront of digital innovation, effectively serving its multifaceted audience while fulfilling its operational goals.
The British Army’s new website signifies a forward-thinking digital transformation, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and audience engagement.
