Why We Rebuilt the Site (and What It Took)

We finally shipped the new Project Anchor Down website. It looks simple. Getting it there was not.

This was a full rebuild. New structure, new layouts, new copy, new assets. We reworked navigation so you can actually find things, tightened the brand so it feels like one voice, and tuned performance so pages load fast on a shaky cell signal. We checked color contrast, alt text, keyboard navigation, and mobile breakpoints. Then we did it again because little details kept showing up once we saw everything live.

It was hard, slow, and not cheap. We rebuilt whole sections so the site can grow with us: Coralite Internship, grants and micro-funding, the “Our Compass” page, events, and a cleaner place for research updates. We also built a simpler way to add new projects without breaking anything else. That part took longer than we expected, but it will save time every month going forward.

A big thank you

This rebuild happened because people believed in the work. A huge thank you to Anchor Down Ventures for a major donation that pushed the project over the finish line. That support covered real costs like design, development, hosting, and the long list of small tools that make a site stable.

About the blog dates

You may notice a bunch of articles and posts with the same publish date. During the migration from the old site to the new one, we had to bulk import content and the timestamps reset. That is why older pieces show up as if they were all posted on one day. Anything written after the launch has been posted near the time it was actually written.

What changed for you

• Clear paths: Grants, internships, and ways to get involved are up front.

• Faster pages: Better caching and lighter media mean quicker loads on mobile.

• Cleaner stories: Project pages now end with simple next steps so you can plug in.

• Stable back end: We can add tools, maps, and datasets without tearing down the house.

What’s next

We are rolling out a few small features: a grants timeline you can filter, a simple project showcase, and better forms for student applications. If something looks off on your device, tell us. Screenshots help.

Thanks for sticking with us during the messy middle. If you find a typo, a broken link, or a spot that could be clearer, email projectanchordown@gmail.com with a quick note. Bit by bit, we will keep making this better.