— Work

ARK Funeral Services

Empathetic and personal website for funeral services

Andy from ARK and I met at an unusual moment: the passing of my grandfather. In a subsequent conversation, when I mentioned my website development skills, Andy was certain that I should be the one to create their new website.

the
challenge

Funeral services. It's a sensitive and unique sector. How do you tell a "business" story without losing sight of the empathetic aspect?

Similar to numerous funeral service websites, ARK's existing website served its functional purpose but failed to communicate the desired message. Moreover, I had gotten to know Andy in a different way, and I felt that the website didn't reflect what they stood for: a unique and personal approach.

Their website looked like one of the many, but they were one in a thousand! This distinction needed to be emphasized.

the
approach

While Andy gave me the freedom to work as I saw fit, I proposed conducting a small workshop. I had a few ideas to approach this project uniquely, but since I acknowledged that my ideas weren't infallible, I wanted to ensure their validity.

During this workshop, we delved into crucial aspects: understanding their identity, values, target audience, expectations, needs, and both short-term and long-term goals.

As we went through this process, it became evident that, on the one hand, ARK provided the core services expected from a funeral service. On the other hand, they had the capacity to offer so much more, opening up a world of possibilities that many hadn't considered. Did you know that, with the appropriate permissions, ashes could be scattered in a forest?

Additionally, we thoroughly examined the requirements of a funeral director: an uncomplicated administration system for adding obituaries, streamlined management of condolences with various statuses, a module allowing families to view private condolences, and the capability to order flowers or wreaths online using a QR code. These features, while seemingly straightforward, presented their unique challenges.

the
outcome

Often, we don't know what is possible, and as a result, farewells can sometimes feel impersonal and standard. But what if the final farewell could be something that truly reflects you? Perhaps even more than you ever imagined. That was my starting point when designing the website.

Andy and Caroline are the perfect team to bring this vision to life. They are two individuals who briefly become a part of your life, guiding you until you find your way forward again.

I conveyed this narrative by sharing the perspectives of those who have lived through it. Through portraits of individuals who have chosen their own distinctive farewells.

The outcome? A website that inspires you with ideas and provides guidance on how to bring them to life.

Behind the scenes, it's a marvel of ingenuity: people can offer condolences online, and the funeral director can easily manage them, just like the obituaries that need to be posted online. There's also a separate family page with a password where the family can view private condolences. The florist has separate access to orders, making administrative work easier here as well.