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urlife.org.ukRedesigning and expanding website content

more on: urlife.org.uk/about

HEI: Central Saint Martins College of Art & DesignCourse(s)/Research body: Graphic Communication Design Programme – Digital and Interaction subject areaMain Partners: Commissioning, Camden CouncilFunders: Camden CouncilPlace: London Borough of Camden

Keywords: Young People, Advice services, Well-being

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situation/problem/the project addresses.

Brief: To redesign and expand content for a council website providing information to Camden’s young people about sexual health, mental health, and substance misuse.

Project response: The design sought to establish a continuity between the familiarity and sense of ownership that Camden’s young people have with their neighbrhood, and the availability of services related to health and well-being issues that might be uncomfortable to approach. We wanted to speak directly and avoid a patronising voice.

ActorCentral Saint MartinsGraduate Designer: Duarte Carrilho da GraçaTutor: Dr Rebecca Ross

Motivations for involvement (agendas):This was a chance for Duarte to take on a larger scale project than he might have been able to as a stand-alone freelancer. We both were excited about working with local government on a project that helps the community.

Contribution to the project (assets):Duarte did the bulk of the design and technical development work for the webiste with input and supervision from Rebecca.

The project outcomes for this actor:It was a productive experience for Duarte, Rebecca, and the insitution in terms of developing experience, skills, and relationships and doing work we could be proud of.

Actor: Camden Council Dionne Campbell, Senior Commissioning Officer

Motivations for involvement (agendas):Camden Council wanted to expand the content for urlife.org.uk and refresh the look and feel. They felt that in working with Central Saint Martins they would have a trusted partner who would still be provide a youth oriented perspective that would come through in the design.

Contribution to the project (assets):Camden financed the project and provided input in the web design, including insight and feedback on the design, and the copy for the website.

The project outcomes for this actor: An opportunity to employ a local Central Saint Martin’s graduate to redesign the website. A project which reflected the needs of the council and fused these with a creative approach to produce a website enjoyed and utilised by many Camden young people. A design which reflected the views of local young people and involved art students from local secondary schools in the final design.

Actor:Regents High Art and Design A-Level students

Motivations for involvement (agendas):Regents High is a local Sixth Form in Camden. They were interested in working on a project at CSM as a way of finding out more about what it would be like to study here.

Contribution to the project (assets):They were able to contribute from the perspective of the constituent audience and work with other actors to generate content for the website (films of the local neighbourhood).

The project outcomes for this actor: The students learnt more about CSM and were able to contribute to the design and content of a website which being used across Camden. Two of the students plan on applying to foundation at CSM and Rebecca has agreed to write them reference letters.

Design process: The design for the website involved a concept phase, a design phase, and a testing/finishing phase. There was a structured approval process with regular meetings and young people involved at set points within all three phases.

Design methods: We ran a few workshops and informal design activities which young people in the borough participated in. However the bulk of the project entailed concept development through sketching and discussion, front-end design and back-end development (mostly in-browser), complemented by some user testing.

The role of design: Through this process CSM was able to deliver a web site design that provided content in a way that proved to be more interactive and engaging than was imagined by the council. CSM helped the council hone in on an effective visual tone for communicating to young people. This was something that was difficult to describe and define at the start of the project.

Project output and impact: Web site front-endDatabase and admin toolsConsulting on hosting purchase

The CSM graduate has been able to further the development of his freelance practice with this project in his portfolio.

The project confirmed for us that the council and the college benefitted mutually from the collaboration, to the extent that what we did together was greater than the sum of the parts.

Successes and Shortcomings Success: The delivery of a greatly improved website which target users enjoyed using. The key challenge for the project was the slow pace behind the scenes in both key institutions.

Key shortcoming: Slow behind the scenes processes in both insitutions

Key barrier: It was hard to get young people to become involved / volunteer at the level we hoped (would have liked to work with more young people), however we worked around this and kept moving forwards.

Key enabler: Camden’s budget for the project was appropriate and gave CSM and the graduate enough space to put a lot of care and effort in. This match between ambition and funding was the key element which enabled the project to work for all the actors involved.