Norwood has won the equivalent of an MOT for its website after entering a third sector competition run by Cogapp, a firm which specialises in digital media and user experience. The Charity, which supports people with learning disabilities and children and families in need, will now receive free consultancy about how to improve the effectiveness of its online presence.
The competition was launched on World Usability Day (12 November) and judges included Dr Graham McAllister, senior lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Sussex, and Pete Gale, Cogapp’s Head of User Experience. Mr Gale said: “We had a significant response to our competition, which clearly shows the need amongst charities for a well conceived and user-friendly website.
“It was a tough decision, but we ultimately selected Norwood because they made the strongest case for our usability consultancy. They have some incredible content and stories to tell, but they also need to reach a wide group of people and families with different needs. Making this information easier to access and navigate will make a big difference to their fundraising and communication efforts.”
The prize includes four one-on-one in-depth user testing sessions followed by a usability workshop and the development of a usability action plan.
Assaf Admoni, Norwood’s Director of Commercial Services, said: “Norwood is honoured to receive this prize. Our online presence, which spans five websites, is crucial to our ability to effectively reach our stakeholders. As a charity, we offer life-changing support each year to thousands of people with learning disabilities and children and families in need. But finding the best way of communicating the incredible opportunities that exist within our large portfolio of services is always a challenge.
“This prize will provide us with a valuable opportunity to enhance our sites both for our service users and supporters and ultimately benefit those that need it most.”
