Humboldt Builders Exchange

The old site lived on WordPress, but as soon as we started creating the features map, we knew a simple site wasn’t going to cut it. HUMBX needed a custom web app to actually make their lives easier, so that’s what we built.

Rather than trying to retrofit the WordPress CMS with a complex plugin environment to create the desired product, we built from scratch. Using your dream house as a metaphor, it’s like remodeling an existing structure versus starting from the very beginning and building from the ground up. By going with a fully custom web app, we were able to ensure the site had every feature it needed and months after launch, we still have the flexibility to continue adding new features.

So what did this process actually look like? Because the site has three major components:

1. The public facing site or what you see when you visit humbx.com but haven’t joined the exchange
2. The member portal so members of the exchange can securely login, handle all of their billing online, buy tickets to events, manage their profiles in the referral guide, buy advertising, etc.
3. The admin portal so the folks running the organization can keep track of members, track analytics and money trends, add events with various products and permissions (ie: sometimes they are member only!), get notifications when a member needs access given or removed to plan room, use custom CMS capabilities to edit the main site without relying on dev support, a place to QC incoming membership requests, and so on and so on and so on 😀

Lots of moving parts! And they all work together. 

But like all custom projects, we started from the beginning.

Early homepage concepts leaned more promotional and sales-forward, which is often the default for membership organizations. Years of marketing design means we know how to make pages convert. But after talking with Jason (VP of the board), it became clear that this wasn’t quite right.

HUMBX isn’t trying to sell builders to builders. It’s facilitating connection, trust, education, and visibility within the local construction ecosystem.

So we pivoted.

After those conversations, we revised the homepage to:

• Be less “salesy” and more community-driven
• Highlight everything the Exchange does — not just membership
• Emphasize value through clarity, not hype

The result is a homepage that feels grounded, credible, and genuinely useful, reflecting how HUMBX actually shows up for its members.

Click above to view the full original mock-ups created in Figma

Click above to view the full final mock-up created in Figma

Next came full feature mapping. This required a handful of meetings to truly understand the needs of the Exchange and clarify key decisions (for example, standardizing billing to a calendar year rather than a mix of fiscal and calendar systems). Once we outlined exactly what each permission level needed to do, we designed flow maps or in other words the user journeys for each part of the site. From there, we moved into build and execution. The code took shape. We tested, refined, and iterated until it was time to launch.

This project went far beyond a traditional website build. We designed and developed a custom membership platform that supports HUMBX’s real-world operations. A very brief overview of some of the features:

• Member Portal: So members can do things like login, customize their referral guide listing, sign up for events, purchase advertising, and manage their membership level.
• Referral Guide: Sortable by contractor type. Created so members can show up in the living HUMBX directory and other contractors/potential clients can easily call them or visit their website.
• Events & News: Both manageable by the HUMBX team, including the ability to make tickets and products purchasable by members through the app.
• Custom CMS: So the slider on the homepage can be updated quickly by the HUMBX team to highlight all of the awesome things the Exchange does.
• Advertising System: Another thing members can purchase through the app, with automated workflows to make collecting creative and ad implementation smooth.
• Admin & Board Tools: See footnote

Note: The above only lightly captures what the app does. If you are interested or curious in a similar custom web app/platform please reach out so we can share the full case study and arrange a time for a discovery call.

Change is tough. When we first launched the site, there was a mix of smooth onboarding and some more challenging situations, which we expected. The Exchange had never been fully online before.

So we were ready to act quickly.

As feedback came in, we iterated on the custom environment to make things easier for businesses both big and small. Some of our rapid improvements included:

• Making every payment available via invoice as well as by card on file, for companies that need a paper trail
• Giving members the ability to add a trusted billing contact who is automatically CC’d on all correspondence
• Creating a crediting system for admin use, allowing for prorated memberships when needed

Ultimately building a custom web app allows us a greater amount of flexibility so we can continue to iterate, improve, and add new features as the Exchange evolves. Because a strategic website is a tool, not just an online business card.

What makes this project special isn’t just how it looks, it’s how much friction it removes.

⚙️ Streamlined Operations: Manual processes that once lived across PDFs, spreadsheets, emails, and institutional memory are now handled directly in the platform.

🤝 Self-Service for Members: Members no longer need to email staff to make basic updates or payments. They’re empowered to manage their own presence, which saves time on both sides.

📈 Scalable for the Future: The system is built to grow with HUMBX: new membership years, new advertising offerings, evolving content, and future integrations.

🧩 Purpose-Built: Every feature exists because HUMBX actually needs it, not because it looked cool in a demo or because it was part of a WP plugin. That focus keeps the system usable for real people, not just power users.

🏛️ A Website That Reflects the Organization: The final site feels professional, trustworthy, and grounded, mirroring the Exchange’s role in the local building community rather than trying to “sell” it.