Creating an app as a companion to a website
Phone apps—let’s face it, we basically live on them. From productivity to social life to entertainment, apps have become deeply integrated into every part of our daily routines. Mobile applications can also be powerful tools for businesses and organizations, giving people easy, on-the-go access to the information they need. With just a few taps, users can interact with services, resources, and communities—right from their pockets.
Recently, I wrote a blog post on municipal websites and how they often fail users due to overwhelming design and poor organizational structure. In that post, I took a closer look at the town of Newtown, CT, as a case study.
A proposed redesign for Newtown, CT’s website architecture.
To recap, Newtown’s current website suffers from cluttered navigation and a chaotic information hierarchy. It’s hard to know where to go or how to find what you need. The experience can be frustrating—especially when you're looking for something simple. So, I created a proposed redesign of the site map, focusing on a cleaner, more user-friendly structure. The new layout puts the needs of residents and businesses first, reduces information overload, and provides a more intuitive path to the resources people rely on. The goal was to turn the site into something not just functional, but genuinely helpful.
But a good website is only one piece of the puzzle.
Given how central smartphones have become to everyday life, there’s an opportunity for Newtown to take things further by introducing a mobile app. A well-designed app could act as a companion to the website—offering residents and local businesses a way to access key services and information even more conveniently.
When planning out this app, I started by revisiting the redesigned website structure. The idea was to identify which elements would be most valuable to users in a mobile context. Not everything from the site needs to carry over. For instance, quick-reference information like garbage pickup schedules, town events, or emergency alerts would be incredibly useful on a mobile device. On the other hand, more detailed content—like departmental pages or official meeting records—is likely better suited for the full website experience.
There’s also room to include new features that make sense specifically for mobile. One example is a “Things to Do” section highlighting attractions, events, and local businesses. This kind of feature could encourage community engagement and promote local tourism and commerce.
Ultimately, the app should prioritize immediacy—delivering the information people are most likely to need while they’re out and about. It’s not meant to replace the website, but rather to complement it. By focusing on speed, simplicity, and relevance, a mobile app could transform how residents interact with their town.
Architecture for a proposed companion app for Newtown, CT’s website.
Above is the proposed structure I’ve designed for Newtown’s companion mobile app. It’s built with the user in mind—streamlined, functional, and focused on real-life needs.
A full breakdown of the proposed app plan is available by clicking the button below.
Hi! My name is Peyton McKenzie.
I am a professional graphic designer, photographer and content creator.
I encourage you to explore my portfolio to get a better idea of the work I create. If you are interested in working with me or have inquiries of any kind, don’t hesitate to reach out over email.
