Women Talk Money

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  • 2017

  • Digital
    Web Design and Development

Designed By:

  • Thick

Commissioned By:

Women's Information and Referral Exchange Inc. (WIRE)

Designed In:

Australia

Women Talk Money is an initiative of WIRE (Women’s Information and Referral Exchange, a generalist women’s support agency). We developed the site to deliver financial literacy content for women, using interactive videos to allow women to practice having difficult conversations, and short quizzes to validate learning.


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  • CHALLENGE
  • SOLUTION
  • IMPACT
  • MORE
  • The Women Talk Money experience is designed around a user's need to digest relevant information quickly and easily. We created a structure which helped users to focus on the videos - the main source of the information. When developing the digital brand we paid careful attention to colour and type to ensure the site didn't make light of sensitive content or evoke any negative emotional responses. The pastel colour palette and use of strong typographic treatment creates a site that is elegant, functional and empowering. The design of the Women Talk Money exceeds the WCAG 2.0 guidelines - not just by meeting machine-defined standards, but considering them from a human perspective.

  • Each video can be easily viewed individually, but the content gives a more complete picture when viewed together, in sequence. The unique navigation pattern allows users to 'slide' between modules, encouraging them to view the videos more efficiently. The quizzes at the end of each page allow users to engage with the content and validate their learnings. Users selections are collected anonymously, collated and shown to other visitors as part of the poll to reveal social patterns. This data also allows WIRE to iterate and improve the content.

  • Due to the sensitive nature of site content, it was essential to design a 'panic button' to redirect users to an innocuous site to hide what they were looking at. The obvious and easy solution was to create a plain link, but what would happen in the case of a slow or disabled internet connection? Any implementation would need to be able to respond to a worst case scenario. The solution was to erase everything on the page as soon as the panic button is hit, and then redirect. The redirect will still fail in the case of the disconnected internet - the user will be left with a blank page instead of leaving an incriminating trail. The panic button was developed as a module and released as an open-source tool.

  • An efficient information architecture lets users browse topics efficiently if they require specific information. It also encourages exploration, meaning that while users come seeking information on a single topic they can leave with a greater breadth of knowledge. The quality of the build was essential to the success of the website. The site integrates with an existing CMS to allow the Women Talk Money team to manage their own content. The final site meets WCAG AA accessibility standards and is responsive, ensuring compatibility with a range of devices.

    The new site design plays an active role in empowering women to make informed decisions about their financial future. The site now functions as a core service for WIRE that - in contrast to similar resources - takes into account power dynamics within a relationship and acknowledges the complex interplay between money and gender. The Women Talk Money website tackles these issues head on, delivering a great return on investment. By achieving a smart user experience and optimising the site for accessibility, users are easily provided the content they require to have difficult financial conversations confidently.