Full Fact
Responsive web design, consultation and printed collateral for a political fact checking not-for-profit.
A respected tool. Full Fact is an invaluable source of non-partisan fact checking, used by all the main parties and media outlets including ITV, BBC and The Telegraph. The not-for-profit organisation is trusted and respected in a world of spin and misinformation.
Making the facts accessible. We were brought on board to organise the content, creating flexible structures and systems to make finding facts intuitive and enjoyable.
Type with personality
Bringing personality to a digital platform makes it more memorable. It helps the brand develop a distinctive voice, and creates a solid relationship between what the words say and what they look like.
User testing a fixed navigation
Full Fact wanted the site to be different to other political platforms. We designed and tested a fixed navigation bar that made the most of their branding, but also put donation and signups front and centre on every page. Most users land on articles rather than the homepage, so this system ensured these features were never hidden.
Preparing for data
As part of the user interface design, we developed strategies for representing often complex data in a visual and approachable ways. The publishing team continues to use these schemes in new reports.
Making it easy to donate
As a not-for-profit organisation, Full Fact relies on donations. As part of the new site design, we integrated donation interfaces to encourage loyal users to start monthly donations. By simplifying a complicated process into big buttons and a couple of clicks, donating each month became simple.
information architecture
With Full Fact’s existing website, the user journey was complicated and verbose. We introduced new structures and labelling systems that make navigating to the most useful papers quick and accurate.
authoritative tone of voice
Making the facts believable
Full Fact has a varied audience, ranging from serious political institutions to inquisitive people just wanting the facts. It has to feel professional, but also make complicated data approachable. Developing a distinctive tone of voice helps content become more authoritative, whilst soft shapes and bright colours ensure you don’t feel like you’re reading stuffy academic papers.
helpful signposting
Part of our approach to organising information was to introduce a series of categories and tags. Categories help define the content you’re seeing (quick sound bites, longer features). Tags are the perfect way for users to quickly get to grips with topics, and discover more content in subjects they’re interested in.
information architecture
Organising an archive of articles
Before designing the user interface and concentrating on details, we carried out audits of Full Fact’s content and existing organisation. This helped us create agile wireframes — refining user journeys with a fast, iterative approach. Concentrating on why users accessed the platform and typical user profiles gave us the ability to structure the site in a very natural way.
user experience for an older audience
Open to a wide demographic, we found many users weren’t that tech-savvy. To make the platform accessible, we paid particular attention to reducing errors and reducing frustration. Giving users timely visual feedback is one way to help reduce anxiety and encourage further engagement.
reducing bounce rate
Studying Full Fact’s analytics and common user behaviour, we found most readers were landing direct on article pages from social media, rather than than accessing the site from the homepage. To reduce bounce rate, we introduced a continuous scrolling functionality. When you’ve finished reading a post, you’re naturally lead to the next. This frictionless approach helps keep people on the site and reduces abandonment.
PRINTED Collateral
To compliment Full Fact’s digital output, we’ve been commissioned to design a series of printed editorial documents focusing on specific topics like the 2015 General Election. The printed materials are all designed to be engaging and immersive — using colour, distinctive typography, and varied layouts to liven up potentially dry words.
consultation
Getting the most out of digital
Throughout our relationship, we’ve offered consultancy services to help FullFact get the most out of digital. Covering areas like user experience and best practices, the publishing team implement strategies form our expertise and insights on a day-to-day basis.
a respected organisation
Factchecking organisation @FullFact will be joining us as Cameron and Farage answer audience questions at #ITVEURef pic.twitter.com/Jpjd7MTpTV
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 7, 2016
Full piece here, where @Telegraph & @FullFact team up to fact check the big #VoteLeave & #Remain claims of #EUref https://t.co/1WKgT7Lftg
— Telegraph Data (@Telegraph_Data) May 27, 2016
.@FullFact have fact-checked the government's EU leaflet #bbcqt https://t.co/JsKY0CA35l pic.twitter.com/TnhGf986W6
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) May 19, 2016
How we worked with the team
We use Slack for seamless dialogue with clients and developers
Marvel lets us prototype and refine, with contextual presentation
We use Adobe CC for designing and animating assets
We're always looking for new challenges and experiences. Whether you're a tech startup, one man band or large established agency, we'd love to hear from you. Get in touch →