IAHPC's New, Steamlined Website Faster to Load & Easier to Navigate
A note from IAHPC Executive Director Liliana De Lima
We are delighted to present the IAHPC's new website to the global palliative care community. The design of the new website reflects our four core areas of work: Advocacy, Education, Research and Communications. The content also includes: About Us, Resources, and a designated section for Members. As you may have also noticed, we have migrated the website to the iahpc.org domain. Our previous domain (hospicecare.com) is automatically redirected to the new domain so you should have no problem finding us.
Our overarching goals were to help users access the information they seek with improved navigation and accessibility, as well as keep our members and other users informed and updated on progress in our four core areas of work.
The new website offers all the tools and resources in our previous one, such as the courses, all issues of Pallinews, our book reviews, and back issues of the newsletter, plus some exciting new features, including improved visual design, better accessibility, and faster downloading. One upcoming new feature we will soon implement is “Pallinet,” a private platform where IAHPC members can connect with each other to share knowledge, resources, and expertise. We are very excited about this new tool, which will be announced in an email to members as soon as it is available.
Many thanks to the members of the communications committee—Gulnara Kunirova, Alison Ramsey, Hibah Osman, Debra Pledger-Fonte, Alejandra Palma, Natalie Greaves, and Julia Libreros— and to the board members who made excellent suggestions to improve the design and performance of the new website. Special thanks to our webmaster Danilo Fritzler for his hard work throughout these past two years.
In the meantime, we welcome your comments. Do not hesitate to send us an email with your thoughts about the new website—or anything else!
Our webmaster, Danilo Fritzler, on why was a new website necessary?
What will users notice about the new site, at first glance?
The first thing users will notice is the fresh, modern design. The improved layout facilitates a seamless navigation experience, with clear sections for Advocacy, Education, Research, and Communications. Additionally, the homepage highlights key resources, making it easy for users to access valuable content quickly. Users will also appreciate the faster load times and improved accessibility features, which ensure the site is user-friendly for everyone, regardless of their device.
Another notable improvement is the optimization of all forms, including those for becoming a member and making a donation. Forms have been streamlined to include only the most essential fields, making these processes faster and more straightforward for users.
Moreover, our exclusive members-only section groups key functions, allowing members to manage their membership, download their certificate, update their information, and access all benefits under the new domain: iahpc.org.
From the technical perspective, why is the new website important?
Our previous website served us well for many years and supported our growth, but as with any technology, periodic updates are essential to keep up with evolving needs and standards. This resulted in a very patchy process that, although not visible to readers, required a lot of work behind the scenes to keep it functional. Over time, as we added new sections and features, it became increasingly clear that a complete overhaul was the best way to ensure the website continued to perform optimally for search engines, browsers, and, most importantly, our users.
As webmaster, what was the design goal?
Our goal was to design a website that is easier to navigate and visually appealing, with improved accessibility, functionality, and design to better serve the global palliative care community.