Human-centred design for public confidence

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Client

Independent Office for Police Conduct

Service

Accessibility evaluations and testing Branding and creative design Discovery and UX Hosting and support Web development

Sector

Public

The IOPC needed a website that could build public trust and raise awareness of their mission.

Their challenge was to create an online presence that felt welcoming and empathetic, especially for marginalised communities who were often sceptical of police-related organisations.

Insight and discovery

Our approach began with a detailed discovery phase, prioritising participant engagement and trust-building. Through interviews, focus groups, and internal workshops, we were able to delve deep to capture honest and frank user insights, needs and experiences, informing our design and development requirements. Utilising personas and journey maps, we streamlined the site navigation, simplified content presentation, and emphasised the IOPC's mission, independence, and credibility.

UX and design

By enhancing key user journeys like the complaints process, we aimed to bolster user experience and trust. We utilised soft hues from the IOPC colour palette to distinguish content and implemented a streamlined single-column structure for consistency across devices. Through prominent use of video and photography, we humanised the content, making the IOPC more relatable to users.

For mobile users, we introduced bottom screen navigation for effortless one-handed interaction. The result? A more approachable website design aligned with the IOPC brand, reinforcing a coherent brand narrative.

Development

Our development process was dynamic, accessible, and, above all, audience-focused. Every decision was informed by external audience feedback, ensuring that the website serves its users effectively while strengthening the IOPC's reputation.

Overall, our redesign successfully transformed the IOPC's online presence, fostering greater awareness and confidence in their vital work.

Working with CIVIC was a fun and ultimately very successful experience - we hit our goals on time and on budget. They were very responsive to our requirements, and were flexible enough to meet our needs - no matter how complicated the ask was. I felt like they really understand the organisation and what we stand for, and most importantly what our audiences were telling us.

Chris Dunbar

Digital Communications Manager