The website of the city of Zurich is the central point of contact for the population, economy and politics. After 15 years, a relaunch was necessary to meet the changing needs of users. The goal: to provide information and services in a clear and easily accessible way. The design system developed by Unic provided the basis for the design of the new platform and the relaunch.
- Customer
- City of Zurich
- Customer since
- 2009
- Go-Live
- December 2024
- Website
- City of Zurich
153
components based on Atomic Design principles
7
themes for customisation
30
demo pages as templates for implementation
The hub of digital administration
With 26 million visits and 60 million page views per year, the website is the city administration's central publication medium. Various target groups use the platform to obtain information and for online services. The general requirement for the relaunch was: simplicity.
To meet these requirements, the existing structure of the website had to be fundamentally revised.
Comprehensible and accessible
With the relaunch, the user experience was optimised and the new CD/CI of the City of Zurich was integrated. The new website is consistently geared to the needs of users. Instead of navigating through the organisational units, they access relevant content and services via thematic access points. The design is compact. The use of colours and clear visual structures helps users find their way around. Key branding elements, such as the logo banner, have been integrated to ensure brand recognition. The platform is accessible and optimised for use on all end devices. An editorial team prepares the content in clear, comprehensible language. AI is used for translation into English. In the future, important information will also be available in plain language and sign language.
Flexible, modular design system as a basis
Even before the website relaunch, Unic began designing and implementing a flexible design system for the City of Zurich. This system forms the basis for the consistent design of all the city administration's websites and web applications. It ensured efficient implementation as part of the redesign of the main website.
The design system is based on Figma and Storybook and includes:
153 components based on Atomic Design principles,
7 themes for customisation,
30 demo pages as templates for implementation.
The core team of employees from the City of Zurich and Unic implemented new and existing elements in short iterations. While the city was working on the framework concepts, Unic took over the design and development of the frontend. Close collaboration, the involvement of relevant stakeholders and agile processes enabled quick solutions and efficient decisions.
Synergies and sustainable further development
The design system ensures synergies and efficiency beyond the relaunch. It offers:
consistency: a unified appearance across all platforms;
flexibility: new pages and functions can be quickly integrated;
accessibility: structure and optimised designs ensure access for all;
long-term usability: efficient further development beyond 2025.
The system is not only used for the main website, but has also been successfully implemented for specific platforms such as those of the VBZ and the MKZ. Further applications are already being planned.
Our website relaunch was greatly enhanced by our collaboration with Unic. Their creative screen design and professional implementation of the front-end programming fully met our expectations. Thanks to their commitment and expertise, our website now has a brand new look!
Christina Stücheli, Head of Communications and Information Officer of the City Council
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