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Case Study

Higgs, Fletcher & Mack, LLP

Higgs, Fletcher & Mack LLP (www.higgslaw.com) is one of the oldest, largest, and most respected law firms in San Diego. Formed in 1939, HF&M has grown from two attorneys to more than 60.

One of the attorneys with the firm, who had been selected to be a point person, contacted RosArt and expressed the need for a revamp of an existing site (built "in-house") to create a quality, professional web presence. A "from scratch" re-design was needed.

RosArt did a complete, three-week study of the firm and its needs. Information gathered during this study period was used to create a list of needs and requirements for the new web site.

First, we noticed a small flaw in the HF&M logo. We indicated a method to fix the flaw so the logo would be easier to read and identify.

Next, the look and feel of the web site was established. Textual content was re-purposed from the old web site and edited to fit the context of the new site design and layout. Also, instead of having a navigation panel on the left hand side of the page (like most web sites were done at the time), we convinced the firm to put the navigation panel at the top of the page. This freed up more area and allowed the left hand part of the page to be used more efficiently as a "quotes and facts" side bar.

Functionally, the lawyers of the firm needed to be able to use the web site to post their individual expertise for potential clients to see. To facilitate this, we designed a form that each attorney's page would be made to fit, listing all pertinent information about a given attorney. (These pages are printer friendly.) The site was also developed in such a way that attorneys could use direct URLs to send prospective clients to their bio page, without requiring them to navigate through the main site.

The site includes: "The Firm" Section ("Our History," "HF&M In the News," "Activities and Events," and "Advertisements"); "Practice Groups"; "Attorney Profiles"; "Publications & Articles" (with a search function by keyword, phrase, or author; "E-Newsletter" (archive and sign up); "Resources" (including "Useful Links" with full disclaimer of non-endorsement of linked sites); and "Contact Us" (with map, link to mapquest.com, online form, "Contact Webmaster," "Privacy Policy," and all contact information).

      

Included in the web site are two custom Administration Panels to easily add and delete information as necessary. The first Admin Panel was created for internal administrators at HF&M. The other Admin Panel was for the PR firm who represents HF&M, so they can add and delete marketing information. (HF&M administrators also have access to the PR Firm Panel.) The Admin Panels only access the specific areas of the site that regularly need changes. This was done in order to avoid accidental code changes to other parts of the site.

The next phase began when the firm wanted an e-newsletter. Having lo-maintenance method of managing the list was a high priority. We devised a method to include a sign up page for the newsletter in the appropriate location on the web site. People can add and remove themselves from the list automatically without the need for an administrator. We also implemented a pop up window on the site that directs visitors to sign up for the newsletters. RosArt continues to distribute the newsletter e-mailings.

We were also contracted to design a full corporate Identification package including a presentation folder and layouts for stationery and business cards, to match the revised logo and new color scheme.

On another occasion, the firm needed an immediate 24-hour translation of an attorney biography on the web site to an obscure Chinese dialect. We completed this on time and on budget, as it is our goal to find an answer to each and every client need.

HF&M is an ongoing project at RosArt.