Project Overview

Mapping the Mosaic was an interesting project for our team to develop. The Center for Community GIS approached us to build this website for their client in Montreal, Quebec. The concept behind it was a simple one: show people a map of Montreal that they could learn from and contribute to. These contributions could be memories they have or historical facts about Montreal.

What we did

A big focus on this site was that the interface needed to feel quick. To do that, the vast majority of interactions available to the user were handled via AJAX requests, such as form submissions, point details, and pages. Preventing a page reload made the site feel "snappier."

In addition to the Javascript development, there were also updates made to the CMS to accommodate the client's needs. The updates brought about by this project were significant: the ability for users to add content to the "General" app was provided, and, in 2013, users gained the ability to edit/remove content from their own, self-generated content, and to add media (such as pictures, links, and YouTube videos) to other users' content.

In addition to the front and back-end developments, the interface that was originally provided to us by the client was improved upon. A flatter design and darker colors (with appropriate, brighter call-to-action elements) was created to prevent the user from being distracted from the content of the site.

The Response

The response to the website has been great. New users are joining the site on a regular basis and are contributing new content to the site. Hundreds of new points of interest in and around Montreal have been added since the site launched.