Maybe I was cynical because our local council website is far from the pinnacle of modern web design by any standards. Instead, the term ‘fiasco’ has been used in relation to its spiralling costs, poor UX and design: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-city-council-.... Ouch.

Anyway, I clicked on the link in the tweet and was pleasantly surprised and delighted to find a modern well designed website with the kind of flair usually reserved for award-winning, commercial websites.

It is obvious by the content architecture that user experience was paramount during the design process, such as the way the site presents its key call-to-actions: ‘Council Tax’, ‘Bins’, ‘Work’ and ‘Libraries’. The designers have recognised what information needs to be prominent and easily accessible and this is reflected within the site structure.

Similarly, the large photograph on the home page promoting Adoption services within Manchester is warm and instantly engages the user while conveying a a powerful, if subliminal message about the council ethos.

The design is excellent - a real departure from the usual staid, sterile, light themes that pervade this genre of website. The icon work is great, the photography is thought-provoking, the animation is swift and adds to the experience. Additionally, the site is ‘Responsive’, as all new  websites should be, and works great on the devices I tested it on.

At IE, we encourage all of our clients to ensure that their website is mobile-responsive. With more and more people viewing websites (sometimes) solely via a mobile device, it’s essential.

Drupal is our CMS of choice and we have built a range of websites to help clients engage their target audience. Developers at IE don’t use a ‘one size fits all approach’. We specialise in providing clients with a bespoke solution designed to meet their objectives.

MCC’s new website has evoked high praise and become a hot topic on Twitter. So much so that as a result of a Twitter conversation with Birmingham City Council, I have found out that they are currently redesigning their website.

Let's hope that BCC’s new site will be a more of a fitting reflection of the wealth of creative talent in the Midlands.