Transforming PDAC.ca for the Modern Era

The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Tis the leading voice for the mineral exploration and development industry, hosting one of the world’s most renowned mining conventions annually. PDAC’s website, PDAC.ca, serves as a critical hub for industry professionals, members, and global stakeholders, providing vital information, resources, and updates about the organization and its flagship convention.
 

PDAC’s previous website had been operating for nearly 10 years, and the cracks began showing. The organization faced several pressing issues:

• Outdated Design
  The website’s appearance was antiquated, no longer reflecting PDAC’s prominence and leadership in the industry.
   
• Confusing Navigation
  With an extensive library of content, the navigation was unintuitive, making essential information buried and hard to locate.
   
• Restrictive CMS
  The Sitefinity-based CMS lacked the flexibility and features needed for modern content management, making updates, especially in bulk, cumbersome for PDAC’s team.
   
• Poor Mobile Compatibility
  The website did not perform well on mobile devices, a critical flaw in today’s mobile-first world.
   
• Performance and Accessibility Shortcomings
  Slow loading times, high bounce rates, and failure to meet AODA accessibility standards all hampered the website’s usability and reach.

These issues significantly hindered PDAC’s mission of providing seamless access to critical resources, particularly during its high-profile annual convention.

In close collaboration with the PDAC team, our team enthusiastically proceeded with a comprehensive redesign and redevelopment of PDAC.ca to address these challenges. The project was divided into two key phases:

• A restructured sitemap for better content discoverability.
• A content strategy to prioritize high-value information.
• Navigation paths tailored to different user personas.

Armed with insights from the UX study and brand guidelines, we focused on designing and developing a modern, user-friendly website tailored to PDAC’s needs.

• We introduced a robust and flexible content management system by replacing Sitefinity with Craft CMS. PDAC’s team could easily manage complex content across departments and user groups.
• Features like bulk content updates and data file imports automated large-scale updates, particularly for convention-related content.
   

• A restructured menu and intuitive navigation system ensured that critical information was no longer buried. Users can now effortlessly locate key resources and event details.

• The responsive design was deeply customized to deliver an exceptional experience on mobile devices, catering to the growing number of mobile users accessing PDAC.ca.

• Leveraging Azure-based infrastructure and meticulous coding practices, the website now loads quickly, even under heavy traffic. It meets Google’s performance benchmarks, ensuring a smooth user experience during peak periods.

• The new website was designed to meet AODA standards, ensuring inclusivity for all users.

• The redesigned website reflects PDAC’s leadership and vision in the industry, presenting a professional, engaging, and modern interface.

One of this project's most demanded and critical features was the development and integration of Automated Bulk Content Updates, a feature designed to streamline the management of large volumes of dynamic convention-related data.

PDAC’s team faced the challenge of working with multiple Excel files to update extensive and intricate datasets collectively. These updates were vast in scope and required regular synchronization with the website. We addressed this challenge by creating a dedicated section within the CMS that allows PDAC’s team to upload these files effortlessly.

The system we developed parses the uploaded data, applies updates, and seamlessly propagates the changes across relevant sections and profiles on the website. This ensures accurate and timely updates while significantly reducing manual effort and minimizing the risk of errors.

The revamped PDAC.ca is a dramatic improvement over its predecessor. It addresses every major pain point and equips the organization for future growth.
 

• Enhanced User Experience: The restructured architecture, intuitive navigation, and lightning-fast performance have transformed the user journey, making it easy for stakeholders to access essential content.
• Scalable and Flexible CMS: Craft CMS provides PDAC’s team with unmatched control and efficiency, allowing them to focus on delivering value rather than wrestling with outdated tools.
• Mobile-First Design: The website now performs flawlessly on all devices, ensuring accessibility for users on the go.
• Robust Infrastructure: Azure’s architecture ensures stability, security, and performance, even during high-traffic events like the annual convention.
• Compliance and Inclusivity: Meeting AODA standards ensures the website is accessible to all users, reinforcing PDAC’s commitment to inclusivity.