At Evil Empire, our dastardly skill set includes web design. If you didn’t know that already, you haven’t been paying attention, please go back and look at our Services Page…
Just kidding, we’ll let you off this time. But, did you know that making a website can be far more than engaging content, compelling words and great functionality?
Increasingly, and rightly so, accessibility is becoming more and more important to organisations looking to enhance their online presence. Making a website accessible ensures that everyone, including people with sensory impairments and neurodivergent conditions, can navigate, understand and use your content with confidence and independence.
That sounds pretty good, right? Well, read on to find out how we did this for our client Top Professionals Access (TPA).
Background
TPA was founded by Sebastian Kopanski, a teacher, specialist tutor and mentor, trainer, writer, lecturer, keynote speaker, and now an entrepreneur. For the past 15 years, Sebastian has worked with people of all ages whose different conditions and disabilities caused them challenges in their schools, workplaces and homes. Sebastian also has a sensory impairment himself and is all too familiar with the lack of professional support available.
To assist people in similar circumstances, Sebastian launched TPA in May 2021 to enable him to better serve individuals with sensory and neurodivergent conditions. TPA provides bespoke support to individuals with sensory impairments and/or neurodivergent conditions, enabling them to thrive in all areas of their lives. The company closely cooperates with other professionals who share the company’s mission and vision.
Empire-worthy ambitions
Following a successful first four years of trading, Sebastian approached Evil Empire seeking a complete rebrand and website refresh.
His goals were to develop:
- a more modern, vivid, inclusive brand
- a website fully aligned with accessibility needs
- a platform that reflects his mission and supports his audience
Discovery
Before getting stuck in, we spoke at length to Sebastian about his likes, dislikes, his brand identity and the functional requirements of the new site. It was crucial to understand Sebastian, TPA and, most importantly, the audience, to allow us to get to grips with the project and deliver a website that hit the brief exactly.As part of this, we also needed to find out more about TPA’s plans for the future, to ensure any functionality further down the line could be easily incorporated into the site.
The accessibility requirements for the project were central to the design process. Sebastian provided a list of competitor sites to review, including the National Autistic Society’s use of a vivid/calm mode, which offered valuable insight into the types of tools that support diverse user needs.
It was essential to include features that would help individuals with sensory and visual processing differences, while also incorporating elements connected to visual impureness, a theme that appears throughout Sebastian’s work. Above all, the digital experience needed to align with both best practice accessibility standards and Sebastian’s own personal and professional philosophy.
Evil Empire’s henchpeople get started
Incentivised with cake and tea, and armed with a comprehensive brief, our henchpeople got to work. We started with the brand identity, working on a new logo using colours inspired by the Disability Pride flag and tailored to the needs of site users and brand values.Armed with a new brand, we translated the discovery insights into a website design incorporating a raft of accessibility measures including:
- Optional text enlargement, line spacing and alignment to help with readability
- Option to switch to a simpler, easier-to-read font
- Contrast controls to allow text to stand out more clearly.
- Grayscale and colour options
- Hide images option for people who prefer a cleaner page or use screen readers
- Keyboard-friendly navigation
- Links can be highlighted to make them easier to spot
- Reset button to return everything to default settings
The result
Well, firstly, we’re pretty chuffed with it – and so is Sebastian.
The new brand and website gives TPA a platform that fully reflects its mission to remove accessibility barriers and champion inclusion.
With a design shaped around the needs of neurodivergent and sensoryimpaired users, the site is clearer, more intuitive and easier for his audience to navigate with confidence. The website was reviewed by three of Sebastian’s contacts: one who is blind, one with severe visual impairment and another with neurodivergent traits. It proved a hit with all three.
The refreshed new brand incorporates vivid colours inspired by the Disability Pride flag to create an identity that is both meaningful and recognisable. The project has already strengthened how Sebastian presents his work and communicates his values, and as the site continues to evolve, Evil Empire will remain on hand to support future updates and ensure the platform grows alongside his ambitions.
Who said what?
“The team at Evil Empire were great to work with from the outset. They took time to really understand TPA and the vision for the business, which helped enormously when it came to working on the branding and the new website.
“They have delivered an accessible website that hits the mark and will act as a valuable resource for neurodivergent and disabled people.”
Sebastian Kopanski, Founder, TPA
“Working with Sebastian on this project was brilliant. He gave us a very clear brief, including everything TPA stands for and the key requirements of the new website. With Jess working on the branding and managing the project, and Rich delivering a fantastic new website, this was a rewarding project for Evil Empire in lots of ways.”
Sara Witham, Founder, Evil Empire
Want an accessible website of your own?
Of course you do! And we’d definitely encourage it to boost your online presence and accessibility among a wider audience.
Speak to one of our henchpeople today to find out more.
