Case Study

ArcStone redesigned InnerCity Tennis’s website with vibrant, community-driven branding and mobile-friendly user experience for players, parents, and supporters.

Innercitytennis' redesigned website on monitor.

"innercitytennis" text in yellow, pink and blue

InnerCity Tennis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses tennis as a powerful vehicle for youth development, providing programming that builds character, academic success, and life skills for young people in urban communities across the Twin Cities. Founded on the belief that sports can transform lives, the organization creates opportunities for children and teens to develop both athletic abilities and essential life skills through structured tennis programming, mentorship, and academic support. Their holistic approach addresses not just athletic development, but also social-emotional learning, leadership development, and academic achievement, helping young people build confidence and resilience that extends far beyond the tennis court.

Serving a diverse community of young players, their families, and dedicated supporters, InnerCity Tennis needed a digital presence that could effectively engage multiple audiences while authentically reflecting the energy, diversity, and transformative impact of their programming. The organization required a platform that could serve as both a recruitment tool for new families and a engagement hub for existing supporters, while capturing the vibrant, community-driven spirit that makes their programs successful in building stronger, more connected urban communities.

Our Role

WordPress Redesign & Development
Visual Design & Brand Alignment
Mobile-Friendly User Experience
Multi-Audience Navigation
Content Architecture Optimization
Community Engagement Features
Ongoing Support Services

The Challenge:

InnerCity Tennis needed a website that could capture their vibrant, community-focused energy while serving diverse stakeholder groups effectively across different digital touchpoints. The previous site didn’t reflect the dynamic, colorful nature of their programming or make it easy for parents to find information about youth programs, registration processes, and program schedules, while also failing to help donors understand the organization’s impact and community members discover ways to get involved. The existing platform lacked the visual appeal and user-friendly navigation necessary to communicate the excitement and energy that characterizes their on-court programming and community events.

The organization faced the challenge of communicating complex program offerings to multiple audiences with varying levels of familiarity with tennis and youth development programming. Parents needed clear information about program logistics, costs, and benefits, while donors required compelling impact stories and clear giving pathways. Young people themselves needed to see representation and excitement that would encourage their participation, while community partners needed easy access to collaboration opportunities. The platform needed to feel as energetic and inspiring as their actual programming while providing practical, accessible information that would remove barriers to participation and support.

Old InnerCity Tennis website on a laptop screen, showing a “Super Saturdays” banner, event listings, news updates, and buttons for login, newsletter sign-up, and court availability.

Our Approach

ArcStone created a comprehensive WordPress redesign that fully embraces InnerCity Tennis’s colorful, community-driven brand identity, using vibrant visuals and dynamic design elements that immediately communicate the energy and joy of their programming. We developed a visual design system that authentically reflects the diversity and excitement of youth tennis programming while ensuring crystal-clear navigation pathways for multiple audience types, from parents researching programs to donors seeking impact information to young people exploring opportunities. The design approach prioritized bold, engaging visuals that capture the spirit of tennis and youth development while maintaining professional credibility and accessibility standards.

The mobile-friendly platform was architected with mobile-first principles, recognizing that many families and supporters would access information through smartphones and tablets, particularly during busy family schedules and on-the-go decision-making. We implemented responsive design elements that maintain visual impact across all devices while ensuring fast loading times and intuitive navigation. The user experience design prioritizes quick access to key information like program schedules, registration links, and contact information, while also providing deeper engagement opportunities for those wanting to learn more about the organization’s mission and impact.

Throughout the development process, we focused on creating community engagement features that would strengthen connections between participants, families, and supporters, building digital tools that extend the sense of community that InnerCity Tennis creates on the court. The content architecture was optimized to highlight success stories, program outcomes, and community impact while providing clear pathways for different types of engagement, from program enrollment to volunteer opportunities to donor support. We ensured that the platform could grow with the organization, providing flexible systems for adding new programs, sharing achievements, and expanding community connections as InnerCity Tennis continues to serve more young people across urban communities.

Redesigned "Support InnerCity Tennis" page.

Reviewing The Results

InnerCity Tennis now operates a vibrant, engaging website that authentically represents their community impact and youth development mission while serving all stakeholder groups effectively across multiple devices and engagement levels. The improved navigation architecture makes it significantly easier for families to access program information, understand registration processes, and connect with the organization, while the compelling visual design and clear impact storytelling better attracts and retains donors and volunteers who want to support transformative youth programming. The mobile-optimized platform ensures that busy families can access essential information quickly, while the engaging design captures the excitement and energy that makes InnerCity Tennis programs so successful in building confidence and community connections.

Community Engagement Impact: The platform now serves as a digital hub that reflects the dynamic spirit of their tennis and youth development programming, supporting both program participation and fundraising goals while strengthening the organization’s position as a leader in sports-based youth development. The website effectively communicates the joy, energy, and transformative power of their programming while providing practical tools that make it easier for families to participate and supporters to contribute to their mission of using tennis to build stronger, more connected urban communities.