Memorializing our veterans in the modern world.

CLIENT USS KIDD Veterans Museum
SCOPE Web & Interactive

Preserved in her original 1940s configuration, USS KIDD (DD-661) once served in the Pacific theatre of WWII and now hosts tours as the largest exhibit of the USS KIDD Veterans Museum. Our website build brought this historic landmark into the modern era.

THE CHALLENGE

In decades past, USS KIDD’s decks were filled with nostalgic veterans of a now-declining generation, families and schoolchildren, and local history buffs. Funding shortages in recent years meant the museum’s website had been left in the hands of well-meaning, scrappy volunteers. While appreciated, the website proved difficult to update, diminished credibility, and failed to provide an adequate platform for the museum’s staff to highlight their work.

THE SOLUTION

ThreeSixtyEight partnered with the museum’s staff to build a website that honors USS KIDD’s history while ushering the museum into a successful future. The updated website serves as the museum’s foundation for shifting public perception, increasing credibility, and facilitating revenue generation. To do this, we focused on educating, informing, and exciting potential visitors across several distinct audience groups.

THE RESULTS

From an exciting new aesthetic reminiscent of KIDD’s heyday to a virtual tour that opens KIDD’s lower decks to accessible exploration, the new USS KIDD website stands as a testament to its magic with an intentional mix of nostalgia and modernity. This website won a Gold Addy for Interface and Navigation.

Explore the “Pirate of the Pacific” for hours before stepping foot into the museum.

The website displays photo archives, ship’s rosters, historical timelines, and behind-the-scenes features – a true extension of the museum’s mission to steward the history of our country’s naval veterans.

A unique virtual tour opened KIDD’s lower decks to all.

Built in 1943, USS KIDD’s walkways are narrow ladders are steep, and ceilings are low. This means visitors with mobility concerns cannot venture below-deck. We prioritized a digital experience that brings KIDD’s wonders to these vulnerable audiences.

When USS KIDD closed for COVID-19, the virtual ship tour became a lifeline for escape and exploration.

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Hidden deep in HTML archives, we resurfaced a collection of veteran memories from KIDD’s decades in service. Now, veterans and their families can add to these Recollections via an online form.

Educators and their students make up a large portion of the museum’s traffic. A dedicated area of the site now easily facilitates group tours and classroom resources.

Museum operations were modernized with the introduction of online ticket sales, donations, gift shop purchases, and volunteer applications. Visitors can now find everything they need with the Plan a Visit hub.

Final Thoughts

Simply put, USS KIDD was one of my favorite projects to work on here at TSE. It’s easy to do our best work when we have the privilege of collaborating with a passionate team on a great topic.

Tara Lirette
Director of Strategy

The USS Kidd team was a dream to work with! They were so knowledgeable about the ship's history and made the experience of working on the website that much easier. It was an honor to help create the new website for such a historic landmark in Baton Rouge.

Kara Pitre
Account Manager

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