tin can hill
Role
Web Dev + Designer
Scope
3 months | march '25
Tools
Figma, Next.js, Contentful CMS
Project Type
web
tl;dr
Safeguarding a Piece of Yellowknife through Empathetic Web Design.
My best friend is a passionate environmental advocate and serves to preserve Tin Can Hill in Yellowknife with the Tin Can Hill Conservation Committee (TCHCC). Their site was too expensive to host and overall needed a refresh. I offered to use my technical background to design a solution for such an important cause.
This project illustrates how I designed and built a responsive website for the TCHCC, providing them with a revamped platform to to share their mission, sell merchandise, and make community involvement simple.
goals
Expand TCHCC's digital reach through an accessible, modernized platform.
Create a sustainable website that removes the financial burden of hosting.
Design a content management experience that allows non-technical team members to update the site independently.
The Problem
The TCHCC lacks the resources needed to modernize their online presence.
Empathizing
Before diving into design, I spent time to understand their branding and financial restraints. Hosting their site through Wix was no longer an option, and their team had limited technical abilities. Conversations revealed that the team needed a solution that reduced friction, provided a new look, and was completely free.
Every decision had to account for their constraints and capabilities.
Technical Decisions
With the constraints in mind, I researched technical solutions. I also evaluated my own limitations: computer science background and very basic knowledge of web development.
As a result I landed on Next.js with TypeScript, Daisy UI for the frontend design, and Contentful as the CMS. Next.js offers free hosting options through Vercel, Contentful provided a clean interface for content management, and Daisy UI's components are simple but easily allow for customization.
The trade-off was learning these tools for the first time.
Given the team's technical familiarity, I decided against a full e-Commerce integration. Most purchases already happened in person or through e-transfer, which worked well for the community. Instead, highlighted instructions for purchasing, maintaining their existing sales model without introducing unnecessary complexity.
Designing the Content Management Experience
The first phase was designing mockups to plan the information architecture and what content to prioritize. This allowed me to take their previous content and revitalize it without completely reinventing it. I focused on what content added value: clear sections for mission and history, showcasing events and how to get involved, and getting in contact.
Rather than making every element editable through the CMS, I made a deliberate choice about what volunteers would actually need to update vs. what could remain fixed. Too many editable fields increases the chance of breaking layouts, while too few limits the team's independence.
This approach means the team can update the dynamic, evolving content without needing to edit the foundation. They get autonomy over what matters most without the responsibility of maintaining structural decisions.
the solution
The final website serves as a central hub for Yellowknifers to learn about the TCHCC's conservation efforts. It communicates their mission clearly, showcases upcoming events through Google Calendar integration, and makes it simple for community members to get involved, shop merch, or stay updated.
More importantly, it's designed for the team to own and evolve independently. The committee can update content, add new pages, and manage their digital presence without external help.
Not just a website.
This project wasn’t just about building a website, it was reshaping the TCHCC’s digital presence and supporting a cause I care about. Each decision considered the committee’s volunteer-driven structure, limited resources, and goal of mobilizing the community around environmental protection.
Every choice was driven by empathy and sustainability. By prioritizing a solution that empowers their team to make updates and considers their constraints, I built something the team could actually use long-term.
