Defford Airfield Heritage Group (DAHG)
The Defford Airfield Heritage Group (DHAG), is a heritage group dedicated to preserving and sharing the story of The Defford Airfield, especially the work of the Telecommunications Flying Unit and its role in the development of airborne radar during WWII and the Cold War that followed.
The Defford Airfield Heritage Group (DHAG), is a heritage group dedicated to preserving and sharing the story of The Defford Airfield, especially the work of the Telecommunications Flying Unit and its role in the development of airborne radar during WWII and the Cold War that followed.
DAHG have approched us explaining they have been looking at modernising their website with a custom built wordpress theme that succeeds at displaying the history of the airbase and has the ability of hosting a secure members portal with a database of all documents related to the group. Additionally, they wanted to take this chamce to highlight on their website that they are lookg for volunteers.
Deliverables
Web Redesign
Improved Experience
Web Redesign
Improved Experience
Sector
Culture
Heritage
Museum
Culture
Heritage
Museum
Year
2025
2025
Project Responsibilities:
✤ End-to-end project and client management
✤ Industry research and wireframe development
✤ Facilitating design review sessions
✤ UX testing and iterative improvements
✤ Ongoing design refinement and client communication
✤ Delivery of the final website design
✤ End-to-end project and client management
✤ Industry research and wireframe development
✤ Facilitating design review sessions
✤ UX testing and iterative improvements
✤ Ongoing design refinement and client communication
✤ Delivery of the final website design
Additional Credits:
✤ Website Development - Tyler Culver, Andreea Panturu
✤ Branding - Connah Dixon
✤ Agency - The Dynamize Group
✤ Web Images - DAHG
✤ Website Development - Tyler Culver, Andreea Panturu
✤ Branding - Connah Dixon
✤ Agency - The Dynamize Group
✤ Web Images - DAHG
Image Rights: DAHG
Pain Points
The previous website was outdated in both design and functionality, making it difficult to maintain and update content accurately. Much of the information was no longer relevant, resulting in a poor UX and reduced credibility.
The site lacked support for a members area, limiting engagement with its core audience, and did not provide any database functionality to manage documents or archival purposes. Additionally, there was no integrated donation system in place, restricting the organisation’s ability to generate ongoing support through the website.
Solutions
To address these issues, we designed and built a custom WordPress theme for DAHG that incorporates all required functionality, including a secure members area and a document database. The design was intentionally kept clean and easy to use to accommodate an older target audience. To further improve accessibility, we implemented features that allow users to adjust text size and colour contrast as needed.
Content was reorganised into three clear categories: People, Technologies and The Museum. Each with dedicated pages and relevant subcategories. Combined with a site-wide search function, this structure ensures an intuitive user journey, allowing visitors to find the information they are looking for. To support volunteer recruitment, we also introduced a clear CTA banner encouraging interested users to get in touch.
Key Functionalities:
✤ Custom WordPress build tailored to project requirements
✤ Secure members area portal
✤ Document database accessible within the members portal
✤ Site-wide search functionality
✤ Responsive interactive airbase map
✤ Integrated donation gateway
✤ Custom archive template pages for People, Technologies, Museum/Airfield, and more
✤ Mobile responsiveness of the map and portal
✤ Custom WordPress build tailored to project requirements
✤ Secure members area portal
✤ Document database accessible within the members portal
✤ Site-wide search functionality
✤ Responsive interactive airbase map
✤ Integrated donation gateway
✤ Custom archive template pages for People, Technologies, Museum/Airfield, and more
✤ Mobile responsiveness of the map and portal
The new DAHG website provides a clear, accessible and future-proof platform that supports its members, preserves archival content, and encourages public engagement. By combining intuitive navigation with essential functionality, the site strengthens DAHG’s digital presence while making information easier to manage and explore for all users.
Thank you for reading!
