The City of Moose Jaw released it’s redesigned website and partnered mobile app on Feb. 11, alongside a new Moose Jaw logo that will eventually phase out the old city crest currently being used.
The updated website features a new colour scheme and updated search functionality to be more accessible to users, said communications manager Craig Hemingway.
It also directly partners with the new Request For Service (RFS) mobile app, designed for residents to submit municipal issues and receive updates about their service requests as they progress.
“It's really a way to provide two-way communication with residents, so residents can report an issue and also know that they've been heard,” said Hemingway. “Residents will get those notifications, all along the way, so there's no more wondering, ‘well, I called in and I don't know what ever happened with that.’”
The app was designed to be easy to navigate, said Hemingway, and submits each request directly to the city employee or department that will handle the service ticket to help increase efficiency.
The online RFS submission will also be available through both the app and website, making it accessible to residents who don’t use smartphones.
The mobile app is already live and running, with data showing 164 downloads within the first seven hours after it's launch.
“We're not even 24 hours into it, but the initial response [from the public] seems to be pretty positive,” said Hemingway.
Hemingway said there were a few technical issues in the first few hours after the app’s launch, which have since been resolved, and the city’s IT Department is continually working out the kinks on the website.
“There's still some things we need to continue to work at. As with any launch, there's going to be a few bugs, the odd broken link or a piece of information that maybe didn't translate over as you hope,” said Hemingway. “But it's a huge upgrade [and] we think we're in a far better place today with our website than we were yesterday, before it switched over.”
The budget for the website redesign was originally approved by City Council in 2015, but work on the website and logo didn’t begin to develop until 2018, after the city finalized the “Notorious” rebranding campaign and approved the budget for the new mobile app.
The new logo and website were designed with the Regina-based company AdSpark Communications and the City of Moose Jaw IT Department, after a public bid for the contract.
Residents can download the mobile by searching "City of Moose Jaw" in both the iTunes App Store and Android Google Play store.
