The Brooklyn Navy Yard is a one-of-a-kind ecosystem housing over 500 businesses across 300 acres in the middle of Brooklyn. With a legacy dating back to the early 1800s, the Yard has played a pivotal role in shaping American history, evolving from a naval shipyard to a dynamic innovation hub. Radish Lab has been a long-term partner with the Yard since 2017, helping them adapt their digital presence as their needs and goals continue to evolve. With an internal light brand refresh underway, we were tasked with creating a flexible and scalable website that aligns with their updated branding while keeping pace with the Yard’s ever-changing operations.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard’s previous website was built on a custom Ruby on Rails platform that no longer suited their needs. As the Yard continues to expand, they needed a more intuitive and adaptable solution that could grow with them while staying true to their refreshed brand identity. The challenge was to design a website that not only allowed for easy updates but also maintained consistency with the physical branding present across the Yard’s large and diverse property.
Radish Lab transitioned the Brooklyn Navy Yard to a custom WordPress site, improving the administrative experience for their internal team. This shift allows the Yard to easily manage their content and make updates without any coding knowledge. The modular design approach provides the flexibility for future growth, ensuring that the site can adapt to new initiatives and changes at the Yard.
In tandem with their internal brand refresh, we updated the use of brand colors and fonts to create a cohesive experience between the website and the physical spaces around the Yard. The digital design system we developed ensures that as the Yard evolves, the website can easily stay aligned with the brand’s visual identity.
The new website has empowered the Brooklyn Navy Yard team with a more efficient and user-friendly platform, serving as a solid foundation for future improvements and requests from their large staff. Its modular design enables ongoing updates and expansions while preserving the Yard’s distinct brand identity. The refreshed site not only reflects the innovation and growth happening on-site but also positions the Yard for continued success as it evolves within New York City’s industrial landscape.
With over 450 businesses and a rich history of innovation, the Brooklyn Navy Yard required a digital presence that could match its scale and significance. Radish Lab’s long-term partnership with the Yard has continuously met this challenge, delivering a flexible, future-ready platform to support their ongoing growth and adaptability.
Check out the live site here
