Bluespark

Bluespark undertook a series of projects for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), specifically for their digital library program. The primary task was to build a completely new website to host a vast amount of content, including about 100,000 sound recordings. Bluespark designed the information infrastructure, migrated all the content, and configured the media center. Following the success of the initial project, Bluespark was commissioned to build additional Drupal-based websites for specific content, and also constructed the main library website. The total cost for this engagement was approximately $350,000. The main library site was launched in 2013, and Bluespark continues to work on concurrent projects and provides maintenance support for UCLA.

In another project, Bluespark partnered with Asheville-Buncombe County Technical Community College (A-B Tech) to upgrade their website to the latest version of Drupal, Drupal 8. The goal was to make the site more student-friendly and to increase traffic through improved design elements. The team at Bluespark worked closely with A-B Tech to navigate the layout and architecture. The project began in August 2019, with a budget of approximately $15,000 for the initial phase of development, and is expected to launch by January 2020.

Bluespark also worked with UCLA's Digital Library program to design, develop, and update several art collection websites within the digital library system. The projects included rebuilding the university archives website, developing a website for a new collection, and upgrading another site with additional images. Bluespark facilitated user-friendly frontend interfaces and designed the sites to display randomized photos to ensure greater exposure across each collection. The images can be shared by users via social media platforms and email. Bluespark's services cost UCLA between $2,000 and $7,000 per month, depending on the workload required for each project. The partnership began in 2016 and is ongoing.