Zoological Society of Milwaukee

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ZSM approached Ocreative to completely overhaul its outdated website.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.