American Documentary
Redesigning a media nonprofit to support film and education
Case study: a template-driven website for American Documentary, the nonprofit media organization behind thousands of documentaries and educational resources.
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THE CHALLENGE
American Documentary (AmDoc), the nonprofit behind POV, came to us with a rich archive of independent films and educational resources—and a digital presence that couldn’t keep up. Their legacy system was slow, difficult to update, and lacked the flexibility needed to support evolving content formats. The interface didn’t reflect the vitality of the stories they told, and internal teams had limited autonomy over updates. Beyond performance, there was a deeper problem: AmDoc needed a modern platform that could support the scale of their work, empower educators and filmmakers, and engage a growing, diverse audience.
THE SOLUTION
We rebuilt AmDoc’s website from the ground up using Webflow. This wasn’t just a redesign—it was a replatforming of thousands of films, lesson plans, filmmaker bios, and archival media into a clean, scalable CMS. We created a system of reusable templates tailored to different content types, ensuring editorial flexibility without sacrificing design integrity. Our team established a digital style guide, upgraded accessibility across the site, and designed layouts that emphasized video storytelling, community engagement, and educational use. The Webflow CMS gave AmDoc’s team real-time control over updates and publishing, which had previously required developer involvement.
THE IMPACT
The new AmDoc.org is fast, responsive, and deeply aligned with the organization’s mission. Visitors can now explore decades of documentary films and teaching resources with ease, while filmmakers and educators benefit from a more intuitive and robust platform. The site’s structure is future-proof, allowing AmDoc to support new projects, special events, and storytelling initiatives without reinventing the wheel. Internal teams now manage the site independently, reducing operational friction and costs. Most importantly, the digital experience finally reflects the quality and urgency of the stories AmDoc brings to the world.
American Documentary
Redesigning a media nonprofit to support film and education
- PAPER TIGER
- Jason Debiak
- Mirko Santangelo
- Leonardo Mattar
- Saad Irfan
- Webflow
- Figma
THE CHALLENGE
American Documentary (AmDoc), the nonprofit behind POV, came to us with a rich archive of independent films and educational resources—and a digital presence that couldn’t keep up. Their legacy system was slow, difficult to update, and lacked the flexibility needed to support evolving content formats. The interface didn’t reflect the vitality of the stories they told, and internal teams had limited autonomy over updates. Beyond performance, there was a deeper problem: AmDoc needed a modern platform that could support the scale of their work, empower educators and filmmakers, and engage a growing, diverse audience.
THE SOLUTION
We rebuilt AmDoc’s website from the ground up using Webflow. This wasn’t just a redesign—it was a replatforming of thousands of films, lesson plans, filmmaker bios, and archival media into a clean, scalable CMS. We created a system of reusable templates tailored to different content types, ensuring editorial flexibility without sacrificing design integrity. Our team established a digital style guide, upgraded accessibility across the site, and designed layouts that emphasized video storytelling, community engagement, and educational use. The Webflow CMS gave AmDoc’s team real-time control over updates and publishing, which had previously required developer involvement.
THE IMPACT
The new AmDoc.org is fast, responsive, and deeply aligned with the organization’s mission. Visitors can now explore decades of documentary films and teaching resources with ease, while filmmakers and educators benefit from a more intuitive and robust platform. The site’s structure is future-proof, allowing AmDoc to support new projects, special events, and storytelling initiatives without reinventing the wheel. Internal teams now manage the site independently, reducing operational friction and costs. Most importantly, the digital experience finally reflects the quality and urgency of the stories AmDoc brings to the world.
