“Where do I start?”
Welcoming language, useful resources, and a next step that makes sense on a phone.
The Design Factory / First 5 Orange County
A stronger
start.
By design.
For the parent finding support.
The partner connecting the dots.
The team making it all possible.
Your new brand, brought to life through a welcoming, purpose-built website. Clear next steps for your community. Confident ownership for your staff.
Website redesign proposal · September 2026
The first five years.
A lifetime of possibility.
Total proposed investment$40,000Including the expense allowance
Target launchApril 1, 2027Discovery begins November 2
Accountable project leadAri RaphielThe Design Factory
Experience that connectsMothers. Families. Communities.
Five website examples, with a direct connection to your brief.
Ownership that lastsYour staff can take it from here.Structured content editing, training, and First 5-owned accounts.
A partnership that worksClear decisions. Direct access.Ari leads the work from discovery through launch and stabilization.
02 / Our understanding
A mission this important
deserves a clear way in.
First 5 needs a sustainable, user-centered website shaped with its team and audiences. Our starting point is the person arriving, the question they have, and the next step they need.
“How can we help?”
Clear program context, useful evidence, and connections to First 5’s work.
“Where is the information?”
Visible routes to meetings, reports, contacts, and required postings.
“Can I update this?”
Repeatable publishing tasks, protected design patterns, and ownership of the system.
One identity. Many ways to belong.
Warm enough to welcome.
Clear enough to use.
The design should make families feel seen while giving partners and the public confidence in the information. Photography, live text, and distinct audience routes can do that work together.
Your new brand standards will guide the final design. This concept uses the current public identity to make the proposed journeys tangible.
01Start with the family’s next step.
- What we observed
- The current navigation is organized around the agency. Resource pages mix guides, programs, phone contacts, and external forms.
- Our response
- A family task index and a filterable resource library make the type of help, language, and next action visible.
- What it makes possible
- A caregiver can find a relevant resource and understand where the next click will take them.
02Bring everyday play within reach.
- What we observed
- Kid Builders is a valuable existing collection. First 5’s strategic plan calls for increased awareness and use.
- Our response
- Age choices, clear activity guidance, and printable content bring a sample activity into an immediate, useful experience.
- What it makes possible
- A parent can move from their child’s age to an activity without creating an account.
03Make the evidence easier to use.
- What we observed
- Partners need reports, community indicators, and public information, with dates and context they can trust.
- Our response
- A dedicated data route explains the Early Development Index and keeps report dates, sources, and authoritative destinations visible.
- What it makes possible
- A partner can identify the right report and understand what community-level data does and does not describe.
03 / Your brief, answered
Every priority.
A considered response.
First 5’s published evaluation criteria guide this proposal: understanding, collaboration, relevant experience, technical capability, project management, and general fit.
01Understanding your needs
Families, partners, commissioners, and staff each have a clear way in.
Understanding your needs
Families, partners, commissioners, and staff each have a clear way in.Parents and caregivers need a clear route to support. Community and resource partners need useful connections. Commissioners and the public need meetings, reports, and organizational information they can find and understand.
Our audience decisions02Collaboration & discovery
Your new brand. Shared scope decisions. Staff involved from day one.
Collaboration & discovery
Your new brand. Shared scope decisions. Staff involved from day one.A working concept starts the conversation. Together we will confirm audience tasks, apply your new brand standards, and agree the content, templates, and integrations worth investing in.
Our shared checkpoints03Relevant experience
MomFounder, A Chance To Learn, and three community websites.
Relevant experience
MomFounder, A Chance To Learn, and three community websites.Five website examples connect our work with mothers, families, education, community services, and recurring staff updates to the needs of First 5.
The work behind the proposal04Technical capability
A custom website, structured editing, and First 5-owned accounts.
Technical capability
A custom website, structured editing, and First 5-owned accounts.A custom React website, an independent content management system, accessible templates, search, agreed integrations, and a practical ownership handoff support a site your team can sustain.
Try the publishing experience05Project management
Five delivery stages. A $40,000 ceiling. One accountable lead.
Project management
Five delivery stages. A $40,000 ceiling. One accountable lead.One accountable lead, a shared decision log, milestone reviews, an itemized $40,000 budget, and an April 1, 2027 launch target keep decisions visible.
Review the investment06A partner who fits
Direct collaboration, practical training, and dependable post-launch support.
A partner who fits
Direct collaboration, practical training, and dependable post-launch support.Ari leads the work directly. Periodic Orange County sessions, practical staff training, and a clear route to ongoing support make collaboration part of delivery.
Meet your direct leadExplore the response.
Then try the work.
Published questions & answers Try the decisions.
Explore family resources, switch the interface between English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, and choose an age for everyday play. Edit, preview, and publish sample content in the browser-session staff prototype.
Build it for First 5.
Apply your new brand standards. Build the custom website and connected CMS in First 5-owned hosting, migrate approved content, connect agreed services, test accessibility, and train your staff.
This concept is a separate demonstration. Production search indexing, integrations, document treatment, and language review are planned delivery work. Kid Builders and EDI scope will be agreed together.
A clear next step, on any screen.
Navigation, wayfinding & mobile design
Organize around family tasks, partner needs, and public information. Keep key content as readable live text and support an agreed translation approach, with First 5 supplying translated collateral as needed.
Demonstrated in this concept
Explore the family journeyTry the resource filters, language-specific resource links, and age-based Kid Builders sample. The final translation tool and priority content will be agreed together.
Accessible public experiences
Design toward WCAG 2.2 AA, including keyboard access, visible focus, readable contrast, zoom and reflow, motion controls, and accessible content patterns.
Production verification included
Review the quality planProduction acceptance includes assistive-technology checks and observed audience tasks. We will agree document remediation and any formal audit requirements during scoping.
What we will decide with you.
Content & search. Agree what to keep, rewrite, combine, or retire; define document coverage, migration ownership, and the redirect map.
Systems & language. Confirm direct integrations versus useful outbound links. Agree the translation approach and review process, using live text and First 5-supplied translated collateral.
Accessibility & public information. Design toward WCAG 2.2 AA. Agree testing, document treatment, posting responsibilities, and any formal audit requirements.
Scope & priorities. Approve templates, content batches, dependencies, and responsibilities within the $40,000 budget before implementation.
04 / Staff ownership
Your team runs the website.
We make that practical.
A sustainable website has to work for the person updating tomorrow’s event, replacing a report, or helping a colleague publish a resource.
01
Add an event
Keep dates, audience information, and registration links together.
02
Publish a resource
Use consistent fields so families can find and understand the next step.
03
Replace a report
Keep its date, source, and accessible format clear.
04
Review & restore
Preview a change and return to an earlier revision.
An interactive publishing prototype
Take the
editor’s seat.
Edit sample content, preview the result, and restore an earlier version. A structured editor protects the design while your team controls the content.
Try the staff experience This browser-session prototype does not publish to a live website. The production CMS, staff accounts, and training are included in the proposed engagement.A purpose-built platform. An independent team.
Custom design. Simple everyday editing.
We propose a custom React website connected to a separate content management system for staff. First 5 owns the hosting account, content, source code, and administrative access. We will select the CMS with your team during discovery, based on publishing tasks, accessibility, security, and the approved budget.
Your published Q&A welcomes platform recommendationsFirst 5-owned hostingU.S.-based partners and documented access
Two training sessionsTask-based guidance your staff can keep
A transferable systemAccounts, content, backups, and a recovery plan
05 / The team & the work
The right experience.
Applied to your needs.
Experience with mothers, education, community services, and staff publishing. Five examples that connect directly to the work First 5 is asking for.
Explore The Design FactoryA broader foundation of agency experience
Civic institutions. Community organizations. Established brands.
Selected brand, campaign, and digital experience. The five website examples below describe our specific contribution and its relevance to First 5.
01 / Featured websiteMothers & community
MomFounder.
A website for LaToyia Dennis
See her ambition.
Show her the way.
Stage-specific support, resources, and community, organized around the mother arriving and the next step she needs.
Our contributionWebsite development & guided discovery
Explore MomFounder A journey with room to grow
01 / Find her stageBuild.
02 / Find useful supportSustain.
03 / Find her communityScale.
Illustrated project journey · Explore the actual website above.
What this brings
to First 5
to First 5
Start with a caregiver’s need. Make the next action clear. Give community partners a useful route of their own.
Four more connections to your brief
Purposeful websites.
Practical connections to First 5.
02Education & family audiences
A Chance To Learn
UX strategy, information architecture, and responsive web design for families, educators, and supporters.
Relevance to First 5
View the case studyOne organization, several audiences. Clear entrances help each person find where they belong.
03Community services & operations
DFW Urban League
Public website experiences and staff tools supporting programs, participation, and organizational communication.
Relevance to First 5
Explore the websiteA welcoming public experience and a practical working environment for the staff behind it.
04Resources, training & recurring updates
Code Enforcement Association of Texas
Website design and ongoing improvements to training discovery, registration paths, resources, and job information.
Relevance to First 5
Explore the websiteCurrent information, clear next steps, and a publishing routine that can keep pace with the organization.
05Community & calendar publishing
St. Luke Community UMC
A public website and calendar workflow connecting visitor information, community participation, and staff publishing.
Relevance to First 5
Explore the websiteEvent information that is easy for visitors to act on and practical for staff to maintain.
Keep the five-project portfolio Our roles and relevance are documented in each example.
Your accountable project lead
Ari Raphiel
Lead Designer & Project DirectorAri connects strategy, design, development, and the day-to-day relationship. First 5 works directly with the person translating its priorities into the website, with clear checkpoints and documented decisions.
06 / Delivery with accountability
Clear checkpoints.
Shared confidence.
We propose a November 2 start and an April 1 launch. The working calendar, review cadence, and stakeholder participation will be agreed with your team at kickoff.
Built together.
Your knowledge of the community.
Our craft and accountability.
November 2–30, 2026
Understand & agree
Approved audience tasks, content inventory, integrations, new brand inputs, responsibilities, and scope.
Ari leads; First 5 confirms priorities and content owners.December 2026
Structure & design
Navigation, content models, key page designs, and a tested direction for the most important journeys.
The Design Factory designs; First 5 reviews at agreed milestones.January–February 2027
Build & populate
Custom React templates and CMS configuration, agreed integrations, staff preview, and approved content migrated in batches.
The Design Factory implements; named content owners approve batches.March 2027
Test & transfer
User acceptance, accessibility checks, redirects, training, backup/restore verification, and launch approval.
The Design Factory resolves defects; First 5 signs off.By April 1, 2027
Launch with support
Production launch, monitoring, ownership handoff, and a 30-day stabilization period.
Ari remains the accountable point of contact.Direct access to the person doing the work.
Ari works with First 5’s designated contact through a shared decision log, weekly progress notes, and milestone reviews. Periodic Orange County sessions support discovery and key decisions, with travel planned within the budget.
A rhythm your team can plan around.
We propose five business days for consolidated feedback and two business days to acknowledge routine requests. Scheduled work is requested at least five business days ahead. Urgent-issue contacts and escalation are agreed at kickoff.
07 / Your investment
One considered plan.
One clear ceiling.
Strategy, design, agreed migration and integrations, testing, training, and launch support. An itemized proposal that keeps the work and its assumptions visible.
01$5,500
Discovery & content decisions
Stakeholder sessions, public-content inventory reconciliation, audience tasks, integration assessment, and an approved scope.
02$4,500
Information architecture & content design
Navigation, content models, migration decisions, page-level copy editing, and a URL/redirect map.
03$6,500
Brand application & responsive design
Apply the supplied new brand standards; design reusable templates and interactive states for mobile and desktop.
04$11,000
Custom website, CMS & integrations
Custom templates, structured publishing, site search, and agreed form, calendar, email, and analytics connections.
05$6,000
Migration, accessibility & launch testing
Approved content batches, redirects, keyboard and assistive-technology checks, responsive testing, and defect resolution.
06$4,000
Training, launch & stabilization
Two staff training sessions, a task guide, deployment/rollback handoff, and 30 days of in-scope defect support.
07$2,500
Project expense allowance
Reserved within the total for approved licenses, hosting setup, travel, and applicable taxes; reconciled during scope approval.
Total proposed project fee$40,000
Included after launch
30 days of stabilization.
In-scope defect support, a clear escalation path, and an accountable point of contact.
Additional maintenance & enhancements
$150 / hour.
Authorized before work begins. Ongoing support hours are agreed separately with First 5.
Template counts, content batches, integrations, document treatment, and final responsibilities are confirmed during discovery. The detailed budget attachment records the proposed scope assumptions.
Read the detailed budget08 / Success & handoff
Success is something
we can demonstrate.
Before launch, we will verify the important journeys together. The acceptance plan makes the proposed checks and evidence clear.
Families find their way.
A caregiver finds relevant support, understands the destination, and can explain the next step.
Partners find the evidence.
A partner locates the right report and identifies its date, source, and purpose.
Staff publish with confidence.
A trained staff member adds an event, publishes a resource, and replaces a report.
First 5 owns a dependable release.
Agreed accessibility issues, redirects, forms, analytics, backups, and recovery are checked before sign-off.
Measure the next step, then improve it.
Resource choices, activity views, report clicks, and unsuccessful searches can show where the website helps and where it needs attention. A click is not proof that a family received a service.
09 / Proposal documents
Prepared to read.
Easy to share.
The formal proposal narrative stays within the RFP’s one-page limit. This online companion and the supporting PDFs make the work, investment, and handoff easy to explore.
01
Start here · PDF
02The one-page proposal
Our understanding, relevant experience, working approach, and proposed schedule.
Experience · PDF
03Selected website work
Five examples, including MomFounder, with our role and relevance to First 5.
Investment · PDF
04Budget & scope
The $40,000 allocation, assumptions, responsibilities, and proposed support rate.
Delivery · PDF
05Delivery & acceptance
Milestones, audience tasks, accessibility checks, ownership, and launch evidence.
Try it · PDF
The staff task guide
Try events, resources, and reports in the interactive publishing prototype.
This online review accompanies the formal submission materials. The required applicant checklist and references are handled separately.
10 / Let’s build your next chapter
First 5 Orange County × The Design FactoryYour mission.
Our craft.
A stronger start.
A thoughtful experience for families. Clear information for partners. A website your staff can confidently own. We are ready to build it with you.
Let’s talk about First 5
Built together.