The challenge
Barnwood trust wanted to create a brand for their research that reflected their core principle of being as inclusive as possible. This meant publishing the reports with people with severe physical disabilities in mind. This had to filter through to all of their research and the way it was communicated. The brand also needed to reflect the quality of the research it was presenting, so appeal to academics and also be accessible and warm. With this in mind we delivered an innovative solution that broke with traditional digital reporting methods to bring it into the digital era and open the research up to readers of all physical ability.
Our solution
We created a strong brand that defined the Trust’s research and gave it a memorable yet respected visual voice. This included a colour palette that was sympathetic to the original Trust, but balanced it with more modern tones. Graph style guidelines and a simple yet strong illustration style allowed the summary reports to be brought to life.
With accessibility and inclusivity as a core principle of the brand, we took the reports online not just as a PDF of the final reports, but as a fully functioning microsite for each report. Our research showed that many of their audience with physical disabilities rely on mobile devices to access content, as they find them much easier to use and can be customised to their particular disability.
This allowed the reports to be easily read on mobile and tablet devices as well as on desktop machines. PDFs don’t respond to screen size so on smaller screens you have to pinch and zoom a report designed for A4 print formats; even as an able bodied person this can be frustrating for a whole document. The microsites enabled Barnwood Trust to remain true to their mission of being as inclusive as possible whilst delivering effective research that helps inform internal policy and policy of local and national government, ultimately improving the lives of those living with impairments.
By listening to the needs of their users and considering those as an integral part of the brand experience we were able to create a brand that delivers what its core mission sets out to achieve, thus giving the brand depth and integrity.