{"id":6,"date":"2026-09-04T21:52:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T21:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tomhayden.me\/?page_id=6"},"modified":"2026-09-04T22:37:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T22:37:29","slug":"tom-hayden-digital-communications","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tomhayden.me\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Hayden \u2014 Digital Communications"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n:root{--th-bg:#f4f1eb;--th-surface:#fffdfa;--th-ink:#14213d;--th-muted:#58657a;--th-line:rgba(20,33,61,.16);--th-blue:#1e5aca;--th-blue2:#dce8ff;--th-orange:#e25d37;--th-cream:#f4f1eb;--th-shadow:0 18px 55px rgba(20,33,61,.09)}html[data-theme=\"dark\"]{--th-bg:#111827;--th-surface:#172235;--th-ink:#f5f1e9;--th-muted:#b7c1d2;--th-line:rgba(245,241,233,.22);--th-blue:#8db4ff;--th-blue2:#1b3158;--th-orange:#ffa987;--th-cream:#111827;--th-shadow:0 18px 55px rgba(0,0,0,.3)}\nbody:has(.th-site){background:var(--th-bg)}body:has(.th-site) .wp-site-blocks>header,body:has(.th-site) 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.entry-content.is-layout-constrained>.th-site{width:100vw!important;max-width:100vw!important;margin-left:calc(50% - 50vw)!important;margin-right:calc(50% - 50vw)!important}\n\nbody:has(.th-site),body:has(.th-site) .wp-site-blocks{overflow-x:clip!important}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"th-site\" id=\"top\">\n<div class=\"th-spine\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i><\/i><\/div><nav class=\"th-rail\" aria-label=\"Section navigation\"><button class=\"th-rail-theme\" id=\"th-theme\" type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" aria-label=\"Switch to dark theme\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u263e<\/span><\/button><a href=\"#top\" aria-label=\"Start\"><span>Start<\/span><i><\/i><\/a><a href=\"#work\" aria-label=\"Work\"><span>Work<\/span><i><\/i><\/a><a href=\"#audiences\" aria-label=\"Experience by role\"><span>By role<\/span><i><\/i><\/a><a href=\"#pointofview\" aria-label=\"Point of view\"><span>Point of view<\/span><i><\/i><\/a><a href=\"#accessibility\" aria-label=\"Accessibility\"><span>Accessibility<\/span><i><\/i><\/a><a href=\"#contact\" aria-label=\"Contact\"><span>Contact<\/span><i><\/i><\/a><\/nav>\n<header class=\"th-header\"><div class=\"th-orbit\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-parallax=\".028\"><\/div><div class=\"th-wrap\"><div class=\"th-topline\"><span class=\"th-wordmark\">Tom Hayden<\/span><nav class=\"th-topnav\" aria-label=\"Primary navigation\"><a href=\"#work\">Work<\/a><a href=\"#audiences\">People first<\/a><a href=\"#pointofview\">Point of view<\/a><a href=\"#accessibility\">Accessibility<\/a><a href=\"#contact\">Next<\/a><\/nav><\/div><p class=\"th-kicker\">Digital communications \u00b7 content systems \u00b7 member experience<\/p><h1>Make the complicated feel obvious.<\/h1><p class=\"th-lede\">I build and shape the places where people look for answers: websites, member portals, content systems, communications, and the quiet infrastructure that makes all of them more useful.<\/p><div class=\"th-actions\"><a class=\"th-action\" href=\"#work\">See the work<\/a><a class=\"th-action th-action--quiet\" href=\"#pointofview\">Read the point of view<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/header>\n<section class=\"th-section\" id=\"work\"><div class=\"th-wrap\"><p class=\"th-kicker\">Selected work \u00b7 first field notes<\/p><h2>Systems, stories, and tools people can actually use.<\/h2><p class=\"th-copy\">A first set of work samples is taking shape here. The through-line is not a platform or a visual style\u2014it is turning real organizational needs into clear, capable experiences.<\/p><div class=\"th-work-grid\">\n<article class=\"th-work th-reveal\"><div><span class=\"th-label\">Member experience<\/span><h3>United Staff Association member portal<\/h3><\/div><p>A role-aware home for members, leaders, events, documents, finance, grievances, committee work, and communications\u2014designed to feel like one operating system rather than a folder of tools.<\/p><span class=\"th-mini\">Dashboard, local context, admin shortcuts<\/span><\/article>\n<article class=\"th-work th-reveal\"><div><span class=\"th-label\">Identity &#038; trust<\/span><h3>Frictionless sign-in<\/h3><\/div><p>A password-light access pattern centered on one-time email codes or sign-in links: easier for infrequent users, clearer on a phone, and grounded in the practical reality of identity and security.<\/p><span class=\"th-mini\">Authentication as a service, not a test<\/span><\/article>\n<article class=\"th-work th-reveal\"><div><span class=\"th-label\">Lifecycle communications<\/span><h3>Automation that welcomes, follows up, and keeps the human in the loop.<\/h3><\/div><p>Visual workflow design for welcome journeys and member communication: conditions, wait states, email, notifications, and graceful endings. Structured enough to be repeatable; plain enough to be managed.<\/p><span class=\"th-mini\">Member onboarding \u00b7 targeted communication \u00b7 useful timing<\/span><\/article>\n<article class=\"th-work th-reveal\"><div><span class=\"th-label\">Operational insight<\/span><h3>Case management and trend analysis<\/h3><\/div><p>A searchable, structured case environment paired with an analytical view. The aim is not a prettier spreadsheet\u2014it is turning lived organizational work into patterns leaders can see and act on.<\/p><span class=\"th-mini\">Search \u00b7 workflow \u00b7 reporting \u00b7 decisions<\/span><\/article>\n<article class=\"th-work th-reveal\"><div><span class=\"th-label\">Content governance<\/span><h3>Resource libraries with metadata that does real work<\/h3><\/div><p>SharePoint libraries, documentation systems, categories, ownership, and cues for what needs attention. Content gets more trustworthy when it has an owner, a purpose, and a review rhythm.<\/p><span class=\"th-mini\">Findability \u00b7 currentness \u00b7 reuse<\/span><\/article>\n<article class=\"th-work th-reveal\"><div><span class=\"th-label\">Public storytelling<\/span><h3>Local and national sites with a job to do<\/h3><\/div><p>Public-facing web work for organizations with a mission: make the next action clear, make the people visible, and let a small team keep the site alive after launch.<\/p><span class=\"th-mini\">Content strategy \u00b7 web publishing \u00b7 visual storytelling<\/span><\/article>\n<article class=\"th-work th-reveal\"><div><span class=\"th-label\">Personalized communication<\/span><h3>Email that behaves like part of the member experience.<\/h3><\/div><p>From Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Constant Contact to thoughtful segmentation and reporting, the question is always the same: what is useful to this person, at this moment, and what should happen next?<\/p><span class=\"th-mini\">Audience strategy \u00b7 lifecycle journeys \u00b7 performance insight<\/span><\/article><article class=\"th-work th-reveal\"><div><span class=\"th-label\">Writing &#038; editorial leadership<\/span><h3>Writing that gives organizational work a human shape.<\/h3><\/div><p>Clear reporting, member-facing stories, project launches, and message architecture that respect both the reader\u2019s time and the stakes of the work.<\/p><a class=\"th-mini\" href=\"https:\/\/nationalstaff.org\/nso-launches-new-member-portal-and-research-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read: NSO launches a new member portal \u2197<\/a><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"th-section\" id=\"audiences\"><div class=\"th-wrap\"><p class=\"th-kicker\">One system, different front doors<\/p><h2>Who are you here to help?<\/h2><p class=\"th-copy\">A good digital service does not ask every person to navigate the same maze. Choose a point of view to see the experience through their eyes.<\/p><div class=\"th-role-layout\"><div class=\"th-role-tabs\" aria-label=\"Choose an audience\"><button type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"true\" data-role-title=\"Member\" data-role-copy=\"I need an answer, a document, an event, or a person\u2014without learning which database or department owns it. The useful next step should be close, current, and clear.\">Member<\/button><button type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" data-role-title=\"Leader\" data-role-copy=\"I need an at-a-glance view of what my local needs, practical tools to keep work moving, and a way to communicate with people without creating another spreadsheet.\">Leader<\/button><button type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" data-role-title=\"Staff\" data-role-copy=\"I need reliable content, usable workflows, and an experience that connects the systems behind the scenes so I can focus on the work only people can do.\">Staff<\/button><button type=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" data-role-title=\"Guest\" data-role-copy=\"I need to understand the organization, see why it matters, and find a confident next step before I am asked to know the internal vocabulary.\">Guest<\/button><\/div><div class=\"th-role-panel th-reveal\" aria-live=\"polite\"><p class=\"th-kicker\">The Member view<\/p><h3 id=\"th-role-title\">Member<\/h3><p id=\"th-role-copy\">I need an answer, a document, an event, or a person\u2014without learning which database or department owns it. The useful next step should be close, current, and clear.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"th-signal th-reveal\"><div class=\"th-signal-head\"><p class=\"th-kicker\">Interactive principle<\/p><span class=\"th-label\">Use the slider<\/span><\/div><input id=\"th-signal-range\" type=\"range\" min=\"0\" max=\"3\" value=\"0\" step=\"1\" aria-label=\"Explore how data can improve a member experience\"><h3 class=\"th-signal-output\" id=\"th-signal-title\">Data is scattered.<\/h3><p class=\"th-signal-copy\" id=\"th-signal-copy\">A person has to repeat themselves across forms, emails, spreadsheets, and portals. The burden stays with the person who needs help.<\/p><div class=\"th-signal-scale\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span>Scattered<\/span><span>Connected<\/span><span>Useful<\/span><span>Personal<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"th-band\" id=\"pointofview\"><div class=\"th-wrap th-reveal\"><p class=\"th-kicker\">Point of view<\/p><h2>People should not have to understand an organization\u2019s technology stack to get what they need.<\/h2><p>When a member needs a contract, an event, a resource, a local contact, or an answer, the experience should feel coherent. The systems underneath can be complicated. The experience in front of them should not be.<\/p><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"th-section\"><div class=\"th-wrap\"><p class=\"th-kicker\">A practical digital strategy<\/p><div class=\"th-principles\"><article class=\"th-principle th-reveal\"><span class=\"th-num\">01 \/ Connect the experience<\/span><div><h3>One person. One coherent experience.<\/h3><p>Identity, local affiliation, events, resources, and communications should recognise the same person without making them manage separate accounts and disconnected processes.<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"th-principle th-reveal\"><span class=\"th-num\">02 \/ Publish with intention<\/span><div><h3>Enter once, publish everywhere.<\/h3><p>Officer names, events, resources, and essential guidance should be structured, current, and reusable across the web, email, portals, and local communications.<\/p><\/div><\/article><article class=\"th-principle th-reveal\"><span class=\"th-num\">03 \/ Learn from use<\/span><div><h3>Measure usefulness, not just traffic.<\/h3><p>Searches that fail, tasks that stall, stale pages, and what people actually use tell a much more useful story than page views alone.<\/p><\/div><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"th-section\" id=\"writing\"><div class=\"th-wrap\"><p class=\"th-kicker\">Writing, training &#038; what comes next<\/p><h2>Words that move work forward.<\/h2><div class=\"th-story-grid\"><article class=\"th-story th-reveal\"><h3>Editorial work<\/h3><p>Member newsletters, organizational reporting, launch communications, and web content built to turn significant internal work into something readers can act on.<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/nationalstaff.org\/nso-launches-new-member-portal-and-research-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A published portal-launch story \u2197<\/a><\/article><article class=\"th-story th-reveal\"><h3>Training \u2014 placeholder<\/h3><p>A home for workshops, facilitation, documentation, and peer learning: making complex tools feel approachable enough to use with confidence.<\/p><\/article><article class=\"th-story th-reveal\"><h3>AI \u2014 placeholder<\/h3><p>A home for responsible AI experiments: human review, useful automation, content operations, and practical guardrails\u2014without treating people as data points.<\/p><\/article><article class=\"th-story th-reveal\"><h3>Tableau &#038; decision support<\/h3><p>From membership composition to trends and operational reporting, data becomes useful when the question is clear, the visual is honest, and the next decision is visible.<\/p><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"th-section\" id=\"accessibility\"><div class=\"th-wrap\"><div class=\"th-vision\"><div class=\"th-sticky\"><p class=\"th-kicker\">Accessibility is product quality<\/p><h2>Accessible is not a finish-line sticker.<\/h2><p class=\"th-copy\">The more consequential the information, the less acceptable it is to make people work around a website. This portfolio is being built to the WCAG 2.2 AA standard and reviewed as it grows.<\/p><p class=\"th-a11y\"><strong>Current accessibility baseline:<\/strong> semantic headings, keyboard-visible focus, readable contrast in both themes, responsive reflow, descriptive navigation, reduced-motion support, and controls that work without hover.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"th-vision-list\"><article class=\"th-reveal\"><h3>Findable by more than one path<\/h3><p>Good navigation, clear labels, contextual links, and search that understands intent\u2014not just exact words.<\/p><\/article><article class=\"th-reveal\"><h3>Designed for lower-tech moments<\/h3><p>Big targets, plain language, no surprise movement, and a mobile experience that does not feel like a shrunken desktop.<\/p><\/article><article class=\"th-reveal\"><h3>Audited continuously<\/h3><p>Automated checks catch repeatable issues. Keyboard, zoom, contrast, screen-reader, and real-user testing catch the things tools cannot.<\/p><\/article><article class=\"th-reveal\"><h3>Trustworthy content has a lifecycle<\/h3><p>Ownership, review dates, archive paths, broken-link checks, and clear \u201ccurrent as of\u201d signals keep high-stakes information from quietly expiring.<\/p><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<section class=\"th-footer\" id=\"contact\"><div class=\"th-wrap th-reveal\"><p class=\"th-kicker\">The work ahead<\/p><h2>A digital front door should give people a next step, not another system to learn.<\/h2><p class=\"th-copy\">This is a living portfolio. More websites, writing, video, drone work, crisis communications, and campaign examples are being added alongside the product and platform work.<\/p><p class=\"th-footnote\">Designed and built with accessibility as a working practice, targeting WCAG 2.2 AA. Formal conformance requires ongoing manual and assistive-technology testing as content and features evolve.<\/p><\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<script>\n(function(){var root=document.documentElement,button=document.getElementById('th-theme'),icon=button&&button.querySelector('span');function apply(theme){root.setAttribute('data-theme',theme);if(button){var next=theme==='dark'?'light':'dark';button.setAttribute('aria-pressed',theme==='dark'?'true':'false');button.setAttribute('aria-label','Switch to '+next+' theme');if(icon)icon.textContent=theme==='dark'?'\u2600':'\u263e'}try{localStorage.setItem('th-theme',theme)}catch(e){}}var stored;try{stored=localStorage.getItem('th-theme')}catch(e){}apply(stored||(window.matchMedia&&window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches?'dark':'light'));if(button)button.addEventListener('click',function(){apply(root.getAttribute('data-theme')==='dark'?'light':'dark')});var roleButtons=document.querySelectorAll('.th-role-tabs button'),roleTitle=document.getElementById('th-role-title'),roleCopy=document.getElementById('th-role-copy');roleButtons.forEach(function(item){item.addEventListener('click',function(){roleButtons.forEach(function(other){other.setAttribute('aria-pressed','false')});item.setAttribute('aria-pressed','true');roleTitle.textContent=item.dataset.roleTitle;roleCopy.textContent=item.dataset.roleCopy})});var range=document.getElementById('th-signal-range'),signalTitle=document.getElementById('th-signal-title'),signalCopy=document.getElementById('th-signal-copy'),signals=[['Data is scattered.','A person has to repeat themselves across forms, emails, spreadsheets, and portals. 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I build and shape the places where people look for answers: websites, member portals, content systems, communications, and the quiet infrastructure that makes all of them more useful. See the workRead the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomhayden.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomhayden.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomhayden.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomhayden.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomhayden.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomhayden.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomhayden.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions\/14"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomhayden.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}