Aidan Solsten, a history graduate student, is currently working with Scottsdale Historic Preservation program to redesign content on its website. The project began as an internship with the Scottsdale Historic Preservation Commission. His interest in working in the public history field fueled his interest in working with the historic preservation program. Aidan met with the preservation officer for the historical program and created plans to maintain the historical preservation of Scottsdale through updates to their websites and make the site both visually appealing and user friendly for everyone. 

According to the Scottsdale Historic Preservation Office, “Aidan’s knowledge and expertise regarding the internet and web page design has been a significant asset as the City of Scottsdale Historic Preservation Office has been updating its web site and web pages and internet links to improve accessibility and configurations for optimizing search capabilities for access through mobile devices.”

Solsten hoped to expand the number of visitors to the site, who returned to the site and that his work might contribute to an increase in the number of visitors to the city of Scottsdale. He would also like the website to be used to inform the citizens of Scottsdale about the history of their town and the history that can be found in the area. In order to achieve this, he has researched other city’s historical preservation sites for ideas. One example he wants to incorporate is creating a volunteer program. He feels that creating a volunteer program within the Scottsdale historic preservation program will aid in preserving the community and bringing neighborhoods together and spreading knowledge about the historic preservation program. 

The  Scottsdale program allowed him to be outside of a museum setting, yet still provide historical information to the community. From his work, Solsten believed that he became a better writer and improved his ability to communicate with different audiences.