Zoological Society of Milwaukee
Website
A Modern Website to Drive Membership, Mission Awareness, and Community Impact
The Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Milwaukee County Zoo through fundraising, education, conservation, and community engagement. With a deep focus on connecting people to animals and environmental stewardship, the Society plays a crucial role in sustaining and enhancing zoo programs, operations, and experiences.
Expanding Community Engagement Through a Modern Web Experience
ZSM approached Ocreative to completely overhaul its outdated website. Their goal was to raise awareness about the Society’s broader mission, not just the zoo itself, and to boost support for their campaigns, memberships, and sustainability initiatives. They needed a platform that could balance high-impact storytelling with robust functionality, while delivering an unforgettable user experience that spoke to families, donors, and educators alike.
Integrating Events, Donations, and Membership Tools into One Seamless Site
We kicked off the project by meeting with a diverse cross-section of ZSM team members to understand their priorities, peak engagement seasons, and content needs. The Society needed a site that could do it all:
- Highlight their three pillars: Support, Educate, and Conserve
- Integrate with multiple platforms for events, donations, and eCommerce
- Help the public understand that Zoo Pass purchases support the Society, not the county zoo
- Guide both casual and philanthropic audiences through the site with ease
From there, we built a custom site map and visual design strategy centered around emotion, clarity, and authenticity, with an emphasis on vibrant media and storytelling.
A Bold, Multimedia-Rich Website That Inspires Action and Support
The new website delivers a bold, highly visual experience using real photos and video from the Milwaukee County Zoo. It features:
A streamlined mega menu that simplifies navigation across more than a dozen key content areas
- An integrated calendar system for live events and educational programming
- Dynamic donation and membership modules that guide users to support at every level
- A dedicated Planned Giving section built around a fresh, family-focused aesthetic
- Custom storytelling and design that bring the Society’s mission to life
The final result is a vibrant digital home that invites users to explore, engage, and give back on any device, at any time.
THE RESULTS
Since launch, the site has helped clarify the Society’s role in the community, enhanced campaign credibility, and provided an easier path for members and supporters to get involved. Programs and donors can now find what they need with fewer obstacles, and the engaging, locally grounded design keeps visitors clicking, learning, and giving.
2021 Davey Awards, Gold, Nonprofit Website
2021 Davey Awards, Silver, Best Website Home Page
2021 Davey Awards, Gold, Best Visual Appeal Website Aesthetics
2022 Communicator Awards, Silver, Non-Profit Website
Engagement That Roars
What stands out the most to me is the timely and attentive care from everyone at Ocreative. They consistently made themselves available to answer big but also very small questions. We never had to wait for an answer. It can be overwhelming to create a new website but they broke it down into an easy process. Plus, the end product is beautiful and easy to navigate. See for yourself, zoosociety.org
—Katie K., Communications and Public Relations Manager
