Our Client: SDC PPN
South Dublin County Public Participation Network is an independent umbrella network providing a voice for all community, voluntary and environmental groups in the county. It was established in 2014 following a series of public meetings and information campaigns. It is set up to be the main link through which South Dublin County Council and other decision-making bodies in the county connect to the community. The primary aim of the Network is to co-ordinate and support the appointment of community representatives onto decision making committees within South Dublin County Council and other bodies in the county.
Membership of the Network is open to all community and voluntary groups and organisations in South Dublin County working on voluntary co-operative or not for profit basis for the benefit of the community. To date approx. 350 groups are registered with South Dublin County PPN.
Project architecture
A unique aspect of this project was the extensive SDCPPN Resource Library, which needed to be completely integrated throughout the site, and most pages ending up with associated resources. Also the hierarchical structure with introduction pages explaining what a visitor could find in this section required a different approach than we had taken for other PPN projects. We worked closely with the SDCPPN coordinator to achieve this goal, keeping the management of the structure easy and updatable by the PPN staff.
We also created a custom members directory for the site, foregoing the default PPN plugin. This allowed us to bring the member directory’s design in line with the rest of the website and also customise the display for both the overview and individual members.
The various committees and groups have the option to add people and resources to them, and we ensured that this was easily managed from either the committee page itself, or via the individual people or resource record, allowing the editor to choose which way suits better for a specific task.
In designing the website, we focused on applying Universal Design principles (WCAG 2.2) from the start to harmonise accessibility with design. We used Responsive Web Design (RWD) principles for cross-device compatibility.
The tech stack
We engineered a custom WordPress theme using Roots/Sage 11 with, Vite, Laravel Blade, SCSS, JavaScript, and Bootstrap 5. The members directory utilises Rest API and Google Maps API.
Testimonials
SDC PPN had a very positive experience working with Neo-Archaic on the development of our website. From the outset, their team demonstrated a strong understanding of our needs as a Public Participation Network, translating our requirements into a clear, accessible, and well-structured online platform.
They were professional, responsive, and easy to communicate with throughout the entire process. Any queries or adjustments were handled promptly, and they showed great patience in guiding us through technical aspects where needed.
The final website is modern, user-friendly, and tailored to support our members and stakeholders. Neo-Archaic combined technical expertise with a genuine commitment to delivering a high-quality product that reflects our organisation’s goals. We would be happy to recommend Neo-Archaic to other organisations seeking reliable and skilled web development support.
Ellen Connolly (formerly SDC PPN Coordinator):
“I had a very positive experience working directly with Neo-Archaic on the SDC PPN website project. They were professional, approachable, and easy to communicate with throughout. They took the time to understand my input and were open to feedback at every stage, which made the process feel genuinely collaborative. I particularly appreciated their responsiveness and their ability to explain technical elements clearly without making things feel overly complicated. Their attention to detail and commitment to delivering a high-quality, user-friendly website were evident in the final result. Overall, it was a smooth and constructive experience, and I would have no hesitation in working with them again.”