[Cook County Assessor's Office](/project/cook-county-assessors-office) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submitted by Eric Leech on Wed, 02/11/2026 - 16:27 Project Category [Government & Public Sector](/taxonomy/term/1) Project Image Image ![Multiple responsive website layouts displayed on various devices including desktop, tablet, and mobile screens](https://cp-portfolio.acquia.site/sites/default/files/styles/large_w1024/public/2026-03/CC_Assessors_Office_featured_image.png.webp?itok=859ZlzaO) Target Audience Cook County residents Technology [AWS](/taxonomy/term/71) [Drupal](/taxonomy/term/21) [AI](/taxonomy/term/96) Description Cook County Assessor's Office: Hybrid Architecture Delivers Real-Time Property Data and Transparency ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cook County Assessor's Office (CCAO) required a complete digital overhaul to improve content governance and public access to property assessment data. The previous platform limited the team's ability to make timely updates, hindering the office's mission of transparency. Clarity addressed this by designing a hybrid architecture with flexible content management through Drupal CMS and real-time data integration via .NET APIs. This replatforming gives the Communications team full content control and ensures residents have access to accurate, up-to-date property information. The new platform, with updated design and branding, delivers a secure, user-friendly system that strengthens the CCAO's commitment to public service and data transparency. Link [Cook County Assessor's Office](https://www.cookcountyassessoril.gov/) Short Project Description The Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) engaged Clarity to redesign and replatform their website. Clarity built the new website by combining the technologies of content management system Drupal 8 and .NET APIs. Project Duration 2020 to Present Project Services [Logo Development & Brand Refresh](/taxonomy/term/31) [Accessibility Remediation](/taxonomy/term/106) [Responsive Design](/taxonomy/term/111) [UX & Graphic Design](/taxonomy/term/101) [Website Design & Development](/taxonomy/term/36) Accordion Display Field 1 | Website Redesign and Modernization -------------------------------------- The Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) engaged Clarity to redesign and replatform their website. Clarity built the new website by combining the technologies of content management system Drupal 8 and .NET APIs. This combination allows the CCAO Communications team to now independently make needed, timely content updates to the site (served by the Drupal CMS), while at the same time, visitors to the website can search the latest and greatest data regarding properties and assessed values for properties throughout Cook County (served by the .NET APIs). In addition to the technical changes outlined above, [Clarity created an entirely fresh design for the CCAO](https://www.claritypartners.com/case_study/cultivating-a-new-brand-identity-clarity-partners-designs-updated-logo-for-cook-county-assessor/), including fresh color branding and logo development, emphasizing their efforts at data transparency in service to the residents of Cook County. We have included the screenshots of the old website on the following page. ### **Key Outcomes & Expertise:** - Built a robust platform using Drupal CMS for content and .NET APIs for data. - Enabled public access to accurate, up-to-date property assessment information via API integration. - Empowered the internal CCAO team to manage and update all non-data content independently. - Delivered a user-friendly platform focused on public data transparency and accurate assessments. 2 | Accessibility and Inclusive Design -------------------------------------- Clarity methodically brought the website into compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. The solution involved detailed technical implementation, including enforcing consistent color contrast, establishing proper semantic structure, and ensuring accurate ARIA labeling. This commitment to inclusive design resulted in a public platform that is not only robust and modern but also legally compliant and equitable, ensuring every resident can access key property information regardless of their device or ability. ### **Key Accessibility Outcomes:** - Achieved full compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. - Implemented technical controls for consistent color contrast and semantic structure. - Delivered a public-facing platform that is fully inclusive and equitable for all users. 3 | AI-Assisted Outcomes: Alt Text Generation --------------------------------------------- The Cook County Assessor's Office faced an ongoing challenge in ensuring compliance with the images used on its website to support information critical to the public. Manual alt text authoring was slow and inconsistent, and sometimes inadequate to end-user needs. Clarity solved this challenge by developing and implementing a custom AI-based alt text generation tool directly integrated into the CMS. This innovative solution fully automates descriptions of images. The strategic use of AI results in a dramatic reduction in manual authoring time for the content team, simultaneously ensuring higher technical consistency. This dual approach not only accelerated accessibility compliance but also enriched image metadata, providing a foundation for stronger SEO performance and scalable content publishing. ### **Key AI Outcomes and Efficiency:** - Developed an AI-based alt text generation tool for accessibility efficiency. - Reduced manual authoring time and increased content consistency. - Improved compliance and enriched image metadata for stronger SEO performance. 4 | Responsive Website for Property Owners ------------------------------------------ Clarity developed and maintains the website to be responsive across different screen sizes. The website layout shifts to optimally display the most important information even at the smallest screen sizes. ### **Key Responsive Outcomes:** - Launched a responsively designed website. - Provided an easy, fast solution for residents. 5 | High Performance AWS Web Hosting ------------------------------------ Managing a public platform like the Assessor's Office website requires continuous, rigorous attention to the full digital ecosystem, including optimizing the hosting for all the technologies involved, including .NET and Drupal, with data exchanges happening on a nightly and hourly basis. ### **Key Security Outcomes and Practices:** - Implemented secure Drupal configurations to protect data. - Applied continuous measures: regular patching, module updates, and vulnerability monitoring. - Ensured compliance with industry best practices and government security standards.