TESTIMONIAL
I AM HUMAN were the developers for Mencap's young persons' website www.y-a-p.org.uk.
Following the development of yap by I AM HUMAN, Mencap organised numerous workshops for young people with learning disabilities around the country to showcase the website. Audience feedback indicated that slight changes were needed for young people with learning disabilities to navigate and interact with the website better.
We spoke with I AM HUMAN who quickly responded with great ideas on how the site could be made easier, not only for the young people but also for our staff who moderate the site.
We are extremely happy with the changes that I AM HUMAN have made as well as their overall work on the project. One of the most important aspects was that I AM HUMAN were always understanding of the specific needs of young people with learning disabilities.
Lewis Perkins, Project Manager, Mencap
- Mencap is a leading UK learning disability charity.
CLIENT Mencap | BRAND yap - www.y-a-p.org.uk
BRIEF
Mencap's brief was to create an online lifestyle magazine to work as a platform and communication tool for young people with learning disabilities. This groundbreaking project worked very closely with eight groups of young people with disabilities who volunteered to be the brains behind the project. The site incorporates their ideas from the logo, to the colours, to the functionality. Where it differs from others is that the young people created most of the content themselves. It is a site for young people with disabilities, about young people with disabilities and by young people with disabilities.
RESEARCH
Mencap was an existing client of I AM HUMAN and we had already established an understanding of the different ways to approach accessibility. We worked closely with the volunteer groups and Mencap staff to ensure the greatest care was taken to provide user friendly and intuitive design and functionality whilst maintaining the integrity of the young people's ideas.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Young people with a learning disability aged 13 to 21.
STRATEGY
We decided early on that there would be minimal text throughout the site, but instead colour schemes, small images and intuitive iconology to represent ideas and get our messages across. We designed characters represented throughout the site in the form of the logo, Flash games, and information pointers, to create a product that requires little instructions.
DESIGN & BUILD
The title yap refers to chatting and communicating. To re-enforce this we decided to design a set of human and alien characters to inject a true personality and fun element which the young people really responded to. The site was built with a Windows based ASP back end and database as well as incorporating Flash and audio components.
RESULT
The website went live at a big launch on the 26th of September 2005. It has received positive feedback from users and industry representatives and is truly a first of its kind.
I AM HUMAN were the developers for Mencap's young persons' website www.y-a-p.org.uk.
Following the development of yap by I AM HUMAN, Mencap organised numerous workshops for young people with learning disabilities around the country to showcase the website. Audience feedback indicated that slight changes were needed for young people with learning disabilities to navigate and interact with the website better.
We spoke with I AM HUMAN who quickly responded with great ideas on how the site could be made easier, not only for the young people but also for our staff who moderate the site.
We are extremely happy with the changes that I AM HUMAN have made as well as their overall work on the project. One of the most important aspects was that I AM HUMAN were always understanding of the specific needs of young people with learning disabilities.
Lewis Perkins, Project Manager, Mencap
- Mencap is a leading UK learning disability charity.
CLIENT Mencap | BRAND yap - www.y-a-p.org.uk
BRIEF
Mencap's brief was to create an online lifestyle magazine to work as a platform and communication tool for young people with learning disabilities. This groundbreaking project worked very closely with eight groups of young people with disabilities who volunteered to be the brains behind the project. The site incorporates their ideas from the logo, to the colours, to the functionality. Where it differs from others is that the young people created most of the content themselves. It is a site for young people with disabilities, about young people with disabilities and by young people with disabilities.
RESEARCH
Mencap was an existing client of I AM HUMAN and we had already established an understanding of the different ways to approach accessibility. We worked closely with the volunteer groups and Mencap staff to ensure the greatest care was taken to provide user friendly and intuitive design and functionality whilst maintaining the integrity of the young people's ideas.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Young people with a learning disability aged 13 to 21.
STRATEGY
We decided early on that there would be minimal text throughout the site, but instead colour schemes, small images and intuitive iconology to represent ideas and get our messages across. We designed characters represented throughout the site in the form of the logo, Flash games, and information pointers, to create a product that requires little instructions.
DESIGN & BUILD
The title yap refers to chatting and communicating. To re-enforce this we decided to design a set of human and alien characters to inject a true personality and fun element which the young people really responded to. The site was built with a Windows based ASP back end and database as well as incorporating Flash and audio components.
RESULT
The website went live at a big launch on the 26th of September 2005. It has received positive feedback from users and industry representatives and is truly a first of its kind.