The OpenWater Blog

Learning Series: What is the OpenWater Premium Theme?

If you have an awards program you should have an awards website. Doing so is the simplest way to boost the prestige of your program while increasing efficiency and streamlining various processes.

Although most organizations know they need an awards website, few are certain how to get started with the process. And, if you’re new to the idea of an awards website, it may be helpful to learn about the best practices or better understand the pages your website should include before diving in.

When you’re ready to move forward with website development, it’s important to recognize that you have options to get started. Read on to learn:

• Different types of website templates you can use on the OpenWater platform for your program; and
• How to take advantage of the premium theme for your program.

You Have 3 Options When Building Your Website

Whether you’re looking for something simple or want a more elaborate website, OpenWater supports it all.

Option #1: Default Theme

Our default theme includes no frills but it works just as well as any other awards website. The result is mobile friendly and you can build a basic, straightforward website for your program without the hassle of extensive development.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a great example of how you can take our most basic theme and turn it into a website that is simple, efficient, and fully functional.

Another great example of an attractive website built using our basic theme is The Kaiser Permanente Design Awards Program. You’ll notice the similarities between the two but how each is unique in its own right.

Option #2: Website-Match Theme

Consistency across your entire awards program is important. This is why many programs approach our team seeking an awards website that matches their website.

The Teacher Education Division (TED) is a great example of how you can be consistent between your organization’s website and the awards program’s website.

Here is the organization’s main website:

And here is the awards program’s website:

Option #3: The OpenWater Premium Theme

If you want to push both the look and feel of your website, the OpenWater premium theme is a great way to do so. Designed to boost prestige and help customers build a site without the assistance of a web designer, the premium theme allows for full customization.

When you choose the premium theme, you provide a logo, a few background images, information for slides, and sponsor logos, among other elements. Doing so offers a turnkey website that looks good and comes with all of the information and widgets necessary for easy editing and a highly stylized website.

Here’s an example of a premium theme homepage:

And here are just some of the many widgets you’ll find waiting for you in the backend:

Video Widget:

Timeline Widget:

Judge Widget:

FAQ Widget:

Need Something Different? Go Fully Custom!

Templates work for most awards programs. That being said, some programs want an edge and do so by creating a fully customized template.

By partnering with the OpenWater team, we can take any specifications and translate them into a unique website that will help your program stand out for all the right reasons. All you have to do is contact our team to get started on your own theme!

When in Doubt, Go Premium

Premium isn’t the only website option on the OpenWater platform but it is the best way to create a good looking website that’s easy to edit and built with widgets and other tools necessary to maintain your website over time.

If you want to see more examples of organizations that have excelled using our premium theme, check out these organizations:

• Sustainable Quality Awards
• ICSC
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• American Association of Political Consultants

What difference can a premium theme make for your awards program? The benefits will be twofold: For your employees and for your entrants.

Kunal Johar

Kunal Johar is the OpenWater platform evangelist. He currently manages our development teams and enjoys diving into the fray. Find him in our community chat room.

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