dortmund.de went online in 1995, when Dortmund became one of the first cities to create its very own online presence. The website has grown and grown ever since, and most recently featured 125 project pages covering everything from accessibility to the zoo. The platform was structured in the same way as the city’s administration. For website users, finding the right information easily and quickly was a formidable task. Ultimately, dortmund.de became completely overwhelming, with a nondescript design, no interactive elements and outdated technical architecture.
the relaunch of dortmund.de
City of Dortmund
Challenge
The relaunch of dortmund.de was aimed at offering citizens the best possible service. We achieved that, and information is now quicker and easier to find. An ultra-modern design and the cutting-edge technology are the cherry on top.
Thomas Westphal | Lord Mayor | City of Dortmund
Solution
dortmund.de was completely revamped with new visuals, structure and technology to provide the city’s citizens with quicker, simpler and more reliable access to the information they need. Instead of reflecting the city authorities’ organisational structure, the new website places the needs of its users front and centre. With five menu items – Services, Topics, Newsroom, Experience Dortmund and City Hall – the platform is now structured clearly. A new internal search machine also helps users get where they need to go more quickly. Visitors don’t require any German language skills, either, as all content can be translated into 14 languages at the click of a button.
Under the hood, nothing appears to have changed at first glance: dortmund.de continues to operate using Crownpeak’s content management system (CMS) FirstSpirit. However, whereas the old platform was based on the on-premise version of FirstSpirit, the new website makes use of the cutting-edge cloud solution with a hybrid headless architecture. All of these characteristics are what enable the mobile-first design.
Visually, the new website has a fresh and energy-saving dark mode. And, as well as serving their needs, the website also puts the spotlight on of the citizens of Dortmund: images on the website feature real-life people from the city, who could apply to become official dortmund.de models.
adesso's role
As a partner of the city of Dortmund, adesso took charge of project management and all key services, from consulting and producing initial concepts and designing the user experience and user interface (UX/UI) all the way through to technical implementation and documentation.
“During the pitches, we already had a strong sense that adesso’s experts understood us and could provide a basis for us to grow together,” says Soeren Spoo, Head of Communications for the city of Dortmund. “It was the start of a fruitful partnership.”
Result
Twelve months passed between the start of the project and the relaunch. On 19 October 2023, the city of Dortmund unveiled its fresh, new online presence to its citizens. All of the objectives of the project were achieved:
“We are very proud of the new dortmund.de, The website has well and truly exceeded our expectations, and much of that is down to adesso. Instead of delivering a turnkey solution, adesso challenged us again and again to make our online presence even better. Never in my 20 years as a professional have I experienced such seamless collaboration with a service provider.”
Soeren Spoo |Head of Communications | City of Dortmund
About the customer
Dortmund is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia and, with a population of around 593,000, is the ninth largest city in Germany, the third largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf and the largest city in the Ruhr region in terms of area and population. Dortmund is also part of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region with around ten million inhabitants. The city is located in the eastern Ruhr region and is a member of the Ruhr Regional Association and the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association and is located in the administrative district of Arnsberg. www.dortmund.de
A winged rhino for adesso
In good company
Just four kilometres as the crow flies separate Dortmund City Hall and Adessoplatz, the IT service provider’s headquarters. It will come as no surprise then that the project with the city authorities was a matter close to adesso’ heart. Even though adesso has a global presence at over 60 sites in 15 countries, the company’s roots lies firmly in Dortmund, where adesso was founded back in 1997. The company has maintained close ties to the city ever since, something that is also reflected in its partnership with Borussia Dortmund. For the city authorities, realising this project with a local partner is an added benefit.
Following the successful completion of the project, the city had a surprise in store for adesso: As a token of gratitude for adesso’s service, representatives from City Hall worked through the night to place a Flying Rhino in front of adesso’s headquarters. These sculptures, all of which featuring a unique design, are placed in a range of prominent places around central Dortmund and are a famous symbol of the city. Now adesso is part of the club!
Do you have questions?
There is no website or brochure which can replace a personal meeting to talk about your goals and topics. We are looking forward to an appointment on site.
Program Manager Digital Experience Matthias Bäcker +49 231 7000-7000 matthias.baecker@adesso.de