Chicago Parent Magazine

The goal of redesigning the publication’s existing website, was to make it easier for parents to access articles, reviews and resources, as well as to raise the level of interaction between parents.

Parents rely on Chicago Parent for ideas about local events, information about family health, arts and entertainment, travel and book/video reviews.  Nearly everyone (94%) turns to the publication's event calendar to share ideas of what to do during a weekend or over a holiday break.  With exclusive Web-only features, the Chicago Parent website is very much a real time version of the printed magazine and a trusted resource for area parents.

The goal of redesigning the publication's existing website, was to 1) make it easier for parents to access articles, reviews and resources, 2) raise the level of interaction between parents and 3) offer more opportunities for online advertising and sponsorships.

A content management system was added in order to allow multiple contributors (staff editors, freelance writers and off-site bloggers) to add information to the site.  In addition a complex search algorithm was created so that parents could search for answers by topic, content type (article, event or resource), location or their child's age group.

To raise interaction among parents online, the team added a way for users to rate various articles, events, blogs, area resources or even submitting their own recommendations and feedback. Parents can forward favorite resources to friends and neighbors via email or post them to Twitter or Facebook - all through a toolbox sponsored by a site advertiser.

Rethinking how parents interact with the website has led to valuable additions and enhancements that now make ChicagoParent.com the go-to-guide for parents.

The Team