The IdeaMapr team designed and added custom elements onto the existing IdeaMapr platform. Using an existing platform enabled the project team to handle the unique characteristics of the project without having the expense of building a new tool totally from scratch. Using an existing platform meant we could ask multiple other question types in addition to the interactive map feature. For example we could use one online engagement to enable people to add places where they would like to see improvement on the map and also seamlessly move to questions about how often they move through the corridor, whether they owned businesses in the corridor, and what things they valued most about the corridor. Also using an existing platform meant that the entire engagement was much more reliable than building a new tool from scratch.

The ease of editing elements in IdeaMapr meant that we could make sure all of the questions were worded just right before sending it out. Also the mobile-first design approach meant that over 40% more participants could get involved by using their mobile devices. The map elements were also designed to work just as easily on mobile devices as they were on desktop browsers. Speaking of browsers, 12% of participants used IE to participate and the IdeaMapr team was able to make the cutting edge map feature work on older browsers just as well as current browsers.

The simple reports from the IdeaMapr tool enabled the project team to easily copy/paste reports from the summary, see trends in where participants favored improvements, and gather contact info for participants that gave particularly unique responses.