Case Study

Designing a Comprehensive ALS Resource Website

I AM ALS is a leading ALS support organization providing education, resources, and support for patients and families affected by ALS. We redesigned the website to organize thousands of resources, programs, and stories into a structured platform with an intuitive mega menu, advanced filtering, and clear navigation so visitors can quickly find ALS information, community […]

Client

I AM ALS

Industry

Healthcare / ALS Disease Support

Role

Website Design and Development

Timeline

3 – 4 Months

Project Overview

The Challenge & Our Mission

The previous website contained a large amount of ALS information but lacked clear organization and

navigation. Our goal was to redesign the platform, categorize resources, and create a structured

website experience where patients, caregivers, and families can easily discover ALS education,

programs, community stories, and support resources.

Platform Scale

The Scale of the Build

The platform manages thousands of ALS resources, media files, and community stories, requiring scalable infrastructure capable of supporting large content libraries and dynamic user submissions.

2000+

Total Pages

5000+

Media Files

30.00 GB +

Approx. Total Size

6+

Custom Post Types

6+

Custom Fields

5+

User Roles

Hetzner

Hosting Environment

Core Features

What Was Built

The website includes a structured ALS resource directory, advanced filtering system, dynamic story submissions, and a visually organized mega menu enabling visitors to easily explore resources, programs, stories, and events.

Search & Filter Interface

Resource Directory View

Advanced Search

Enhanced search enabling quick discovery of ALS resources and stories.

Filtering System

Advanced hierarchical filtering for resources and structured filtering for stories, actions, news, and events.

Map Integration

N/A

Resource Directory

Advanced AJAX resource directory with dynamic loading grids.

Custom Post Types

Six custom post types including stories, actions, resources, news, and events.

Dynamic Content

User-submitted stories automatically published through Gravity Forms submissions.

Forms & Submissions

Gravity Forms with conditional logic, multi-step flows, and uploads.

CRM & Third-Party Integrations

N/A

Membership & Login System

N/A

Automation Workflows

N/A

Architecture & Data Structure

How It Was Architected

The platform architecture combines scalable cloud infrastructure, structured CMS architecture, and performance optimization layers to support large ALS content libraries and dynamic community submissions.

Platform Infrastructure Layer

Hetzner Cloud Servers, Plesk 360 Hosting Control Panel with Monitoring, Cloudflare CDN, Cloudflare Web Application Firewall, Automated Daily Backups, Live System Monitoring and Notifications

Core Platform Layer

WordPress Core CMS, MySQL Database, Custom Database Tables

Application Services Layer

Custom Post Types, Advanced Custom Fields, Gravity Forms

Presentation / Experience Layer

Divi Theme Framework (Customized), The Events Calendar

Integration and API Layer

WordPress REST API
↑ Each layer communicates via hooks, REST API, and webhooks ↓

Performance & Optimization

Built for Speed

Performance optimizations ensure ALS resources, stories, and media content load quickly through optimized images, caching systems, and global CDN delivery.

Analytics Dashboard

Google Page Speed

Avg Page Load Time

1.3s

Core Web Vitals

Pass

Image Optimization

WebP + Lazy

Caching System

Full-Page Cache

CDN Usage

Cloudflare Pro

Mobile Responsiveness

100% Responsive

Security & Compliance

Secure by Design

Security protections ensure community submissions and website data remain protected while maintaining reliable access for patients, caregivers, and families.
~

SSL Encryption

TLS 1.3 enforced site-wide. HTTP -> HTTPS redirect at edge level via Cloudflare.

Firewall Protection

Cloudflare WAF with custom rulesets + Wordfence Enterprise at the application layer.

Backup System

Automated daily backups with 60-day retention. Manual snapshot before every deployment.

Accessibility Compliance

WCAG 2.1 AA compliant. Screen reader tested. Keyboard navigable. Color contrast ratios validated.

Results Impact

Real, Outcomes Measured

The redesigned ALS website improved resource discovery, user engagement, and overall navigation while making important ALS information easier for visitors to access.

92%

Performance Improvement

Lighthouse performance score improved significantly after launch.

180%

Content Discoverability

Resource views increased through improved search and filtering.

55%

Engagement Improvement

Average session duration increased while bounce rate declined.

Technical Snapshot

By the Numbers

The I AM ALS website manages thousands of ALS resources, media assets, and community stories supported by scalable infrastructure and optimized performance.

Metric

Value

Total Pages

2000+

Total Media Files

5000+

Custom Post Types

6+

Custom Fields

6+

Integrations

N/A

Hosting

Hetzner Servers

CDN

Cloudflare Pro

Avg Load Time

1.3s

Core Web Vitals

—

Accessibility Level

WCAG 2.1 AA Compliant

Security Layers

Defender Pro, Cloudflare WAF

Backup Retention

60 Days (Daily Automated)

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