Site Migration, Design & Development, SEO +
Embassy of the Free Mind
Main Points
Elevate the website to reflect the standard of a leading cultural institution
- Benchmark design and functionality against top museum and institutional websites.
- Create a website that reflects the Embassy’s mission and user experience.
Establish a cohesive and modern visual identity
- Apply the new branding.
- Create digital style guide and component styles for scaling of pages and features.
Improve site usability and user experience
- Redesign the site architecture and navigation for clarity and ease of use.
- Enhance page layouts and content flow.
- Ensure accessibility and responsiveness across all devices.
Empower internal teams to manage content efficiently
- We implement CMS templates for articles, products, and other repeatable content types.
- Embassy team have the power to change text and images anywhere on the website, and can edit / create / delete CMS pages without developer support.
Make the website the central growth engine
- Position the website, booking system, and brand as a key driver of expansion.
- Create a scalable, future-proof platform that supports engagement and conversions.
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Design
Design Principles
Reflective of the Embassy Experience
The site mirrors the museum’s hermetic journey — visitors enter an environment of quiet discovery, where meaning unfolds through exploration.
Visual & Immersive
A rich, image-led design balanced with clarity and calm pacing.
Simple Navigation
Intuitive pathways that invite exploration without confusion.
Scalable & Maintainable
Flexible CMS structure built for future growth.
Performance & Integrity
Lightweight, responsive, and optimized for speed and accessibility.
Accessible
High compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA standards for usability and inclusivity.
Benchmarks
Design benchmarks ensure alignment between visual identity, usability, and overall user experience.
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Rijksmseum
The Rijksmuseum website is very visual and minimal. Even though it covers many topics and a large amount of information, it remains clean and easy to navigate. The layout reflects the museum experience, where you first look at something visually engaging and then read a short piece about it.
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Style Inspiration: Ficino Society / Ancient Wisdom
The Ficino Society website shares many visual and thematic qualities with the Embassy of the Free Mind. Its symbolic imagery and reflective tone evoke a sense of ancient wisdom and calm that aligns closely with the Embassy’s spirit.
Sitemap
Sitemap
Visualize the website’s structure to ensure clear navigation and user flow.
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Questions / Suggestions
Questions:
- What is contained in the Ritman Research Institute?
- Is there any urgency for the web shop?
Suggestion:
- Break website project up. Everything above requires significant planning, development, tech, testing, training, etc.
- Phase 1: Core Website (Derek & team build new digital BHP in tandem)
- Phase 2: Academy or Webshop
- Phase 3: Webshop or Academy
- Phase 4+: Continued Improvements
Page List
Dynamic CMS collections for effortless management of content.
- tbd
- Based on current site pages, Canva sitemap, and what makes sense
CMS Collections
Dynamic CMS collections for effortless management of content.
- Articles
- Exhibitions
- Events
- Vacancies / Careers
- Team
- FAQs
- Partners & Sponsors
- Etc
Forms
Simple, structured tools that make your life easier by capturing the right details upfront and reducing back and forth.
- Contact
- Checkout
- Careers Application
- Volunteer Form
- Become a Member / Donor
- Subscribe
- Get Involved in the Academy
- Join the Emerald Circle
- Etc
Ecommerce
E-commerce setup for products, tickets, and donations with secure online payments and easy management.
- Museum Tickets
- Tours
- Event Tickets
- Courses
- Venue Hire
- Webshop
- Donations
Tech Stack
Questions
The tech stack outlines the recommended platforms and tools to ensure a scalable, future-proof website.
- Tell us about Booqi, do you like it, does it also handle door/desk sales?
- What do you use for ecommerce / payments / donations? Mollie?
- What do you use Monday for?
- What are you already using Weglot for?
- What's your social media plan?
- Do you have any login functions currently? Memberships?
- Do you use any analytics software?
- Any other important technologies in your current tech stack that we should be aware of? Ones that we maybe don't want to replace?
Core Website
The tech stack outlines the recommended platforms and tools to ensure a scalable, future-proof website.
Webflow
The main website platform used for design, content management, and publishing. It provides a flexible CMS for managing pages, collections, and layouts without coding.
Learn more at the Webflow homepage
Webflow Pricing
Weglot
Enables fast, reliable multilingual translation with automatic language detection and easy manual editing.
Learn more at Weglot
Weglot Pricing
Mailchimp
Stores subscriber information collected from forms on the site, enabling email campaigns and audience management.
Learn more at the Mailchimp homepage
Mailchimp Pricing
Zapier
Connects different tools and automates workflows, such as sending form submissions to Mailchimp or triggering notifications.
Webflow
Webflow is the best plaform for web design, and offers everything you need to scale your business.
Design
We use Webflow to design and build best-in-class and scalable websites fast.
Integration
Easily connects with business tools and 3rd party software for seamless functionality.
SEO
Optimized for top search rankings with built-in and advanced performance tools.
CMS
Effortlessly manage content with dynamic collections, making updates quick and client-friendly.
Webflow CMS Collections
1. Add new item to collection
2. Fill in the info
3. Publish
4. The new item automatically appears in all connected areas of the website, such as listings, sliders, or category pages.
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Ecommerce
The tech stack outlines the recommended platforms and tools to ensure a scalable, future-proof website.
Tickets & Tours - Booqi
Keep current booking system for now at least, research alternatives.
Webshop - Shopify & Shopify Payments
Webshop for physical and some digital products.
Academy - Memberstack & Stripe
Purchase membership, courses and access gated content.
Academy
The tech stack outlines the recommended platforms and tools to ensure a scalable, future-proof website.
Memberstack
Manages user accounts, logins, and access to gated course content. Enables member dashboards, tracking course progress, and forum participation.
Learn more at the Memberstack homepage
Memberstack Pricing
Stripe
Provides secure online payment processing for products, memberships, courses, events, or donations.
Learn more at Stripe
Stripe Transaction Fees
Vimeo
Videos are hosted on Vimeo and embedded on the website for reliable streaming, fast loading, and easy content management.
Zoom
Livestreams / videos are hosted on Zoom and embedded on the website for reliable streaming, fast loading, and easy content management.
Analytics
We use industry leading tools for regular and thorough performance and SEO quality assurance.
Timeline
1. Core Embassy Website
Main public site showcasing content, news, and institutional information.
Time: 3 months
1.1 — Design & Strategy
Structure and creative direction for the new Embassy website.
Includes:
- Site Architecture (site skeleton and navigation framework)
- Basic CMS Template Design (UI/UX foundations)
- Primary Component Design (core layout and interface elements)
- Version 1 Style Guide (colour palette, typography, core components)
Time: 4 weeks
1.2 — Development & CMS Build
Full Webflow development and CMS setup.
Includes:
- Responsive front-end development of all pages
- Custom CMS collections and templates (library, exhibitions, news, shop, etc.)
- E-commerce pages and checkout flows
- Academy introduction and e-commerce pages (excluding course and user areas)
- Form setup and integrations
- Weglot multilingual configuration
- Accessibility optimisation and testing
Time: 6 weeks
1.3 — Optimization & Launch
Final preparation and go-live support.
Includes:
- SEO and analytics setup
- Redirects and performance testing
- Team onboarding and training
- Minor post-launch adjustments
Time: 2 weeks
1.4 — Support & Maintenance for the Embassy
Ongoing support for the site and the team, including updates, content assistance, and small improvements to keep everything running smoothly.
Time: Monthly
2. Academy
Dedicated section for courses, resources, and educational programs.
Time: 2-3 months
2.1 — Design & Strategy
Structure and creative direction for the new Embassy Academy.
Includes:
- Site Architecture (site skeleton and navigation framework)
- Basic CMS Template Design (UI/UX foundations)
- Primary Component Design (core layout and interface elements)
Time: 2 weeks
2.3 — Academy Platform Build
Development of the gated Academy area, expanding on the existing Embassy website.
Includes:
- Member-only access setup using Memberstack
- Course and lesson structure built via CMS
- Vimeo video embedding for lectures and masterclasses
- Payment and subscription setup with Stripe
- Email automation with Mailchimp and Zapier
- Multilingual configuration via Weglot
Time: 6-8 weeks
2.3 — Testing, Launch & Training
Final testing and onboarding for Academy administrators.
Includes:
- QA testing and content upload
- User access and permission setup
- Staff training for course and user management
- Post-launch review and refinements
Time: 2-4 weeks
2.4 — Support & Maintenance for the Embassy
Ongoing support for the site and the team, including updates, content assistance, and small improvements to keep everything running smoothly.
Time: Monthly
3. Web Shop
Online store for products.
Time: 2-3 months
Similar as Academy