The Monitor
Challenge
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives hired me to build a standalone website for The Monitor, its national magazine with 8,000 print subscribers and 2,000 digital readers. The previous site hosted only PDF versions of the magazine. The new site needed to unify three content streams: 1) Monitor articles, 2) rapid-response blog posts (previously published on their other website, Behind the Numbers), and 3) Our Schools/Our Selves, an education-focused publication transitioning to digital-only. The challenge was to design a modern, user-friendly site that supported all three streams using current web standards and best practices.
Solution
To meet the needs of the three content streams, I designed and developed a responsive, user-friendly website built on a modern CMS. The content was restructured to allow for easy browsing, searching, and sharing. Each stream was given its own identity within a unified design system to improve clarity and navigation. I worked closely with the CCPA team to ensure the editorial workflow was streamlined, and I implemented tools that made it easy for staff to publish and manage content independently.
Results
The new website gave The Monitor a distinct and accessible online presence, replacing static PDFs with searchable, mobile-friendly content. Traffic increased as articles became easier to find, share, and read. Editorial staff reported greater efficiency in managing content, and readers enjoyed a clearer, more organized experience. The site earned a perfect score of 100 percent across all four categories in Google Lighthouse: performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO. It was also recognized nationally with a gold medal for "Best Digital Edition Publication, 2021" from the Canadian Online Publishing Awards.
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Roisin West,
Former Senior Editor, The Monitor
Post-Project
Client Feedback
We absolutely made the right choice when we decided to develop our new site with Mike and BLW.
From early sketches to launch and through to maintenance, Mike has been collaborative, guiding in his vision while still open and responsive to our feedback.
In addition to being a skilled designer, Mike is a polished project manager and a great communicator. He heard our unique needs and challenges and ensured that the site that was designed was the one that the Monitor needed.
I've worked on several website redesign projects and none of them have been as smooth and successful as this one.
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Róisín West, Former Senior Editor of the Monitor,
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Near-zero to hero
The earlier incarnation of MonitorMag.ca was a site called BehindTheNumbers.ca. That site had a problematic 39% performance rating from Google.
After Be Like Water rebuilt the site, Google Lighthouse ratings scored a perfect 100% for Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO.
Less work for the client
When the client adds a new issue of the publication into the website, the CMS scans its articles and automatically creates an "author grid" at the bottom of the page, profiling all of the authors who contributed articles to that issue.
Website managers don't even have to think about it.
Award-winning
The Canadian Online Publishing Awards (COPAs) celebrate excellence in digital journalism and publishing across Canada. In 2021, The Monitor website was honoured with a Gold Medal in the Best Digital Edition Publication category, recognizing its strong editorial presentation, user experience, and technical execution.
Post-Project
Client Feedback
Mike Mella provided design and development expertise, professional guidance, support, and a keen eye to detail throughout our collaboration. He was responsive to our questions, open to our needs, and extremely easy to work and communicate with over our 5+ year working relationship. As our organizational needs evolved, he continued to provide thoughtful feedback and ensured that our active and high-traffic blog remained accessible, engaging and very attractive. I would enthusiastically and unreservedly recommend his services!
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Erika Shaker, Director, National Office,
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Get in touch and let's talk about what I can do for you.
