OpenRoad + Mod7
Two pioneering organizations, together at last.
OpenRoad is pleased to announce the acquisition of creative agency Mod7.
Read the letter from our PrincipalThe City of Vancouver launches new $3 million website
Posted on August 10, 2012 in Design by Mod7
The City of Vancouver just launched their new website, which cost the citizenry $3,000,000. Does that sound like a lot of dough? A handful of "outraged" tax payers seem to think so. (It might be worth noting that the one-time-cost per taxpayer is about the price of the Angry Birds HD app on the AppStore, which is kind of a bargain when you consider the improved integration of community systems and improved access to online services.)
Yes, we are disappointed in the lack of mobile support, and, sure, the uninspired visual design could have been more carefully considered. But overall, the project represents a vast improvement over the previous state of affairs.
Still, given that such price tags are usually not so visible in a typical civic press release soundbite, one must wonder why Vancouver felt it was important to lead off the announcement with the number? Surely, it's something that intrepid reporters and naysayers could have dug around for a little—why make their job so easy? Other cities sure don't make a big deal out of it...
For a fun comparison, here are the costs of some other recent city website revamps:
- Calgary, pop. 1,042,892 (2011): $3.2 million CAD (1)
- Elgin, Illinois, pop. 109,104 (2012): $11,500 USD (3)
- Albert Lea, Minnesota, pop. 18,016 (2010): $720 USD (4)
- New York City, pop. 8,244,910 (2013): Their redesign is currently in a controversial RFP stage, but DoITT 2013 operating budget is $442 million USD, which includes a variety of other infrastructure needs. (2)