Relaunching Diakonie: A User-Friendly, Accessible TYPO3 Website

Diakonie is a social service of the Protestant church, providing services to people in need nationwide. Diakonie is one of the largest employers in Germany, with over 33,000 services, employing 700,000 people including their regional associates. 

Their mission is to serve people who are disadvantaged and in need of assistance. Diakonie identifies as an advocate for the weak and works with politicians and society to publicly determine the cause and need for social services.

Diakonie’s previous website provided ample information, however, was structured in a way that overwhelmed users and made it difficult to find relevant information. The primary focus for the relaunch was to create a web experience that was both user-friendly and clear, while meeting the search engine requirements.

In order to accomplish this, a content management system (CMS) and an experienced team would be necessary for implementation. BRANDUNG GmbH, one of the largest and leading TYPO3 agencies in Germany, was selected for the relaunch. With experience in successfully implementing complex projects, a team of certified TYPO3 developers and two specialized TYPO3 teams, BRANDUNG was the perfect match for Diakonie’s relaunch.

BRANDUNG is an active member of the TYPO3 community. Due to their participation in the community, Diakonie benefits from the latest developments and innovations, in addition to supporting continuous improvements and future possibilities.

The ultimate goal was to present the plethora of information in a straightforward, uncomplicated and modern way. Simply put, the content needed to be easily understood and accessible. The website serves two target audiences: people in need of help and potential employees who want to support Diakonie’s mission. Restructuring of content was the primary focus, while simultaneously improving their findability online through SEO improvements.

TYPO3 was the selected CMS for this project due to its flexibility and scalability—two components that were necessary for this installation. Due to Diakonie’s numerous facilities and services, the relaunch required a system that supports efficient and secure management of various tenants.

Thanks to its customization options, TYPO3’s flexibility in integrating required functions met the expectations of both Diakonie and BRANDUNG. TYPO3 is a robust, adaptable platform which proved to be helpful as it was fully utilized to develop tailored solutions.

The main website for Diakonie went live in November 2023, one year after the initial kick-off. Since then, the work by BRANDUNG has extended to Diakonie’s regional sites as well. The main Diakonie portal now offers a robust amount of information without compromising design or efficiency. Diakonie is able to provide services to those in need nationally and regionally. This TYPO3 website serves as a central reference for accessibility and user guidance within regional Diakonie associations and institutions.

The revised website aligned with the accessibility requirements according to the Barrier-Free Information Technology Ordinance (BITV) Standard AA. This included integration of text alternatives for media elements, proper contrast throughout and the use of ARIA landmarks, serving as a guide for website navigation. These measures were implemented to ensure a barrier-free TYPO3 website design, aimed at improving the experience of those with various disabilities.