CAST
Background
CAST, Inc. has spent decades perfecting the science of inclusive education. They’ve developed learning frameworks that help millions of K-12 students and adult learners succeed, regardless of their abilities or circumstances. Their Universal Design for Learning principles have transformed classrooms across the country, proving that when you design for everyone, everyone benefits.
But CAST’s website was telling a different story. The very platform meant to share their barrier-breaking resources had become a maze of confusion that frustrated the educators, families, and learners they were trying to help.
CAST knew they needed a complete digital transformation. They needed a partner who understood that inclusive design means creating experiences that work for real people with diverse needs and abilities. That’s where Mindgrub came in.
Together, we rebuilt CAST’s digital presence from the ground up, applying the same inclusive design principles CAST teaches to create a platform that makes their educational resources genuinely accessible to everyone.
The Opportunity
The challenge was clear: CAST’s website was failing the people it was meant to serve. Educators hunting for professional development resources got lost in confusing menus. Parents searching for learning tools couldn’t find what they needed. Adult learners gave up before discovering relevant accessibility resources.
Staff were constantly fielding calls from frustrated visitors who couldn’t locate basic information. CAST’s valuable educational content sat buried under layers of complex navigation, creating exactly the kind of barriers the organization dedicates itself to removing.
The solution required more than fixing navigation. CAST needed a platform that would provide clear pathways to resources while giving their team control over content updates. Previously, even simple changes required contacting external vendors, which slowed their ability to keep resources current and responsive to community needs.
Our Approach
We worked closely with CAST stakeholders to understand not just what they needed, but who they were serving. Through comprehensive discovery sessions, stakeholder interviews, and user research, we mapped out how different audiences approached their content and where the current system was failing them.
Mission-Driven Design
CAST’s new website needed to embody their core principle that education should be accessible to everyone. This wasn’t about checking compliance boxes. We built the entire experience around CAST’s own Universal Design for Learning framework, creating a platform that practices the inclusive design principles they teach.
We designed intuitive user journeys that recognize people navigate and process information differently. Educators can quickly find professional development opportunities. Parents can easily access resources for supporting their children. Adult learners can locate accessibility tools without confusion.
The visual design choices support accessibility at every level. Clean layouts give content room to breathe. Clear typography ensures readability across all literacy levels. The entire platform meets WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, ensuring it works for users with different abilities and assistive technologies.
About the Design
Every design decision started with a simple question: does this remove barriers or create them?
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Custom Content Organization
Logical groupings that match how users actually think about and search for educational resources
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Intuitive Navigation
Clean, scannable menus that get people where they need to go without overwhelming them
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Responsive Design
A flexible experience that works equally well on classroom tablets and home computers
Building for Real People
The previous site’s technical problems created real barriers for the people CAST serves. Broken search functions meant educators couldn’t find materials during busy school days. Unclear resource categories left parents feeling lost when trying to support their children’s learning.
We rebuilt CAST’s WordPress environment from the ground up with a component-based system that grows with their needs. The new architecture supports functional search, clear content organization, and smooth user experiences across all devices.
Our team wrote 31 pages of fresh content using plain language that prioritizes clarity and accessibility. Every piece was optimized for search engines and human readers across different literacy levels, ensuring CAST’s resources can be found and used effectively by their diverse audience.
We integrated event registration for professional development enrollment and eCommerce functionality for resource sales. Accessibility wasn’t treated as a final checklist item but as a foundational requirement woven throughout the entire development process.
Results that Matter
The transformation delivered immediate, measurable improvements across every metric that matters.
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Visitors find what they need faster
Downloads and clicked increased by 62.3% while page views decreased by 9.7%. People are locating relevant content quickly instead of clicking around confused.
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Staff time is freed up for their mission
The centralized resource hub reduced general contact queries by 29.1%. CAST's team can focus on developing new resources and supporting their community instead of directing people to basic information.
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Content reaches more people sustainably
Site traffic increased after major content changes, indicating the improvements support long-term growth and user engagement.
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Accessibility drives real usability
Flesch reading scores improved by 10.1%, making content more understandable across all literacy levels. WCAG 2.1 AA compliance ensures the site works for users with different abilities and assistive technologies.
The bigger victory: CAST now has a digital platform that truly reflects their mission. Every click supports inclusive education, making resources easier to find, easier to understand, and easier to use.