People First
Empowering people with disabilities through a digital learning tool
The challenge
People First is a charitable self-advocacy organisation that empowers and supports people with learning disabilities in New Zealand. For many years they’ve run in-person group workshops to help their members learn about topics like speaking up, employment rights and finances. But it’s been a challenge for members in remote locations to access these workshops. People First wanted to create a digital tool that would get this content to those who need it even when attending in person isn’t possible.
Our approach
We worked closely with People First to design Learn With Us, a digital tool that delivers similar content to their workshops, but can be accessed from anywhere. Through participatory design involving people with learning disabilities at every step of the way, we sought to stay true to People’s First’s mantra — “nothing about us, without us”. We created a new fun, simple, accessible brand and logo, and designed the tool to congratulate learners on small wins at every step of the way, helping them see the progress they’re making and encouraging them to stay positive and engaged.
The impact
We’ve had fantastic feedback from People First about the process of collaborating with us to design a tool that truly caters to people with learning disabilities. Learn With Us delivers valuable content in a positive, fun, accessible and supportive way, and gives People First a way of getting the content from their in-person workshops to community members who can’t otherwise access it. It was created through close collaboration with people with disabilities, and it celebrates learners’ wins in a way that encourages them and gives them something to show others as a record of their achievement.
Illlustrations and animations
To enhance the tool's appeal and excitement, I've developed a series of illustrations and animations. These elements infuse a friendly atmosphere into the digital experience and aid users in comprehending each interaction.
We have also created animated states to make sure our users do not miss where to interact and make the overall experience easy and smooth.
People First logo design
I've redesigned the logo for People First NZ with accessibility in mind, as it's a key priority for them. The previous logo lacked accessibility, so I simplified the concept of the butterfly for improved legibility. Additionally, we researched a font suitable for individuals with visual and reading impairments and curated a color palette that adheres to AAA contrast standards. The result is a clean, accessible logo that is easy to identify and captures the essence of the organization.
