Website – Bernie’s Book Bank
Website – Bernie’s Book Bank
The Challenge
Bernie’s Book Bank, a non-profit based in Lake Bluff, Illinois, has dedicated over 15 years of service to fight the literacy crisis in America and provide children across the Chicagoland area with books to call their own. With over 29 million books donated and countless children served, Bernie’s has entered a new chapter of service with planned expansion into two new regions, Florida’s Suncoast and Milwaukee. The problem? Their website structure, design and content didn’t match up to the impact Bernie’s already provides in Chicagoland, and it wasn’t ready to support the organization’s expansion. With a bold vision to help the 32 million children in the U.S. who lack access to books, Bernie’s needed a website that would inspire donors, volunteers and corporate partners to help meet the challenge head-on.
Bernie’s Book Bank’s original site housed a lot of information, so much so that potential donors, volunteers and book partners sometimes struggled to find the most vital resources. Furthermore, Bernie’s needed a visually impactful site to inspire visitors to join their mission and cement their position as a national non-profit and book ownership leader.
The Solution
Getting books into children’s homes changes their lives and ours — and through the revamped Bernie’s Book Bank website, this message shines.
After BBB worked internally to develop their new brand guidelines to attract a national audience, Pepper Group got to work on developing a sitemap, design and technical integration plan. The team dove into creative concepts that not only brought the new brand standards to life, but carried a visual impact and an image-forward approach that felt core to Bernie’s Book Bank.
In addition to design, the Pepper Group team worked extensively to finalize a site map and navigation structure that allowed Bernie’s audiences — from corporate partners, to donors, to volunteers, and more — to easily know where to go, how to access important information, and learn what Bernie’s is truly about. A strategic SEO foundation, careful attention to accessibility, and strong technical execution — including programming, multiple technology tool integrations, and a focus on site speed and performance — created the foundation for the new design and messaging to shine.
The Result
Getting books into children’s homes changes their lives and ours — and through the revamped Bernie’s Book Bank website, this message shines.
After BBB worked internally to develop their new brand guidelines to attract a national audience, Pepper Group got to work on developing a sitemap, design and technical integration plan. The team dove into creative concepts that not only brought the new brand standards to life, but carried a visual impact and an image-forward approach that felt core to Bernie’s Book Bank.
In addition to design, the Pepper Group team worked extensively to finalize a site map and navigation structure that allowed Bernie’s audiences — from corporate partners, to donors, to volunteers, and more — to easily know where to go, how to access important information, and learn what Bernie’s is truly about. A strategic SEO foundation, careful attention to accessibility, and strong technical execution — including programming, multiple technology tool integrations, and a focus on site speed and performance — created the foundation for the new design and messaging to shine.
Testimonial
“Pepper Group has been a partner to Bernie's Book Bank as volunteers, as book drive hosts, and most recently as our creative team for the development and launch of our new website. From the beginning of the website process through launch, maintenance, and ongoing analysis, the PG team has been hands-on, providing strategic insights, creative design, and UX expertise. We worked together as a team to bring the website to life, ensuring that the user experience was thoughtful, the design was user-friendly, and the execution was bar none. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Pepper Group as we continue to move the mission of Bernie's Book Bank forward."
– Megan Leahy, Director of Brand and Development