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RSPCA NextGen

Engaging and educating the next generation about animal welfare through an innovative and interactive website.

Project type: Website development and UX research.
Role: Lead UX, Research and production.
Key objectives: To create a child-friendly website that educates and engages, aligning with the RSPCA's mission to inspire one million people by 2025.

A tablet displaying a colorful website for the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The website features the tagline 'For kids who love animals' and includes various animal-themed icons and images. The tablet is set against a vibrant blue background.

Project Overview

NextGen is the new youth website from the RSPCA. As the Product Owner, I spearheaded the initiative from start to finish, leading the project by designing and conducting workshops, performing in-depth research and interviewing kids and parents. These efforts culminated in the development of a website tailored to a young audience, engaging and educating the next generation about animal welfare.

Research

We conducted a qualitative study to gather insights into the user experience of the new RSPCA Youth Site. The research involved online sessions with children aged 6 to 12 to understand their interaction with the site.

A screenshot of the RSPCA Next Gen website, as seen in the testing interviews. The design is in the old RSPCA brand, and shows a child hovering their mouse.
A screenshot of the RSPCA Next Gen website, as seen in the testing interviews. The design is in the old RSPCA brand, and shows a child hovering their mouse.>

Objectives

  • Evaluate the user experience among children aged 6 to 12
  • Understand navigation, content interaction and site perception
  • Identify improvement areas and enhance site appeal and functionality

Methodology

Our research methodology consisted of the following key activities:

  • Pre-Session Questionnaire: Captured initial knowledge, preferences, and online behaviour.
  • Scenario-Based Tasks: Guided through navigation and content exploration tasks, sharing thoughts aloud.
  • Post-Task Interviews: Delved deeper into experiences, preferences and challenges encountered.

Key Insights

  • Clear categorisation and engaging content are essential.
  • Emphasis on interactive elements such as games and videos.
  • Positive feedback on design and navigation.

Recommendations

  • Continue diversifying content to maintain engagement.
  • Introduce more interactive elements like quizzes and polls.
  • Promote regular competitions to encourage participation.
  • Highlight the activities of different RSPCA branches.
  • Develop educational content on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership.
  • Establish a feedback loop for continuous improvement.

Users and User Stories

To ensure that the RSPCA NextGen website met the needs of all its users, I developed a detailed User Story Catalogue. This allowed me to identify key user requirements and structure the development process around the real needs of children, parents, content creators and administrators. Below is an overview of the primary users and some key user stories that guided our development.

A cartoon image of a child

Children (Aged 6-12)

As the main audience of the site, children need a platform that is engaging, easy to navigate and full of interactive content.

  • User Story: "As a child, I want to be able to navigate to each page on the website without help so that I can find information on my own."
  • Acceptance Criteria: When a child accesses the navigation bar, they should be able to easily find and access different pages such as Home, Games, Activities, Profile, Stories and Videos.
A cartoon image of an adult

Parents

Parents oversee their children's activities and manage content and communication preferences on the platform, ensuring that the content is suitable for their child.

  • User Story: "As a parent, I want to sign up my child with my email and their details so that my child can access the right content and save their progress."
  • Acceptance Criteria: The parent should be able to sign up their child using their email and set up a profile for them that allows progress to be saved.
A cartoon image of an adult

Content Creators

Content creators are responsible for generating, updating and tagging content that aligns with RSPCA’s mission and is appropriate for the target audience.

  • User Story: "As a content creator, I want to access templates so that I can create content in the correct format."
  • Acceptance Criteria: The content creator should have access to predefined templates in Liferay to create and format content before review and publication.
A cartoon image of an adult

Super Admins

Super admins manage permissions, content visibility and ensure that the website remains up-to-date and secure.

  • User Story: "As a super admin, I want the ability to put some content behind a login wall so that parents can limit their child to certain content."
  • Acceptance Criteria: The super admin should be able to tag content to be behind a login wall, making it accessible only to users who are logged in.

These stories, among others, ensured that every aspect of the platform was developed with the end user in mind. The catalogue continues to serve as a reference point for further enhancements and iterations.

Iterations

Throughout the development process, we implemented several iterations based on user feedback and testing. These iterations focused on refining navigation, enhancing content clarity and improving the overall user experience. Key changes included:

  • Redesigning the homepage for easier access to key sections.
  • Simplifying language and instructions to suit a younger audience.
  • Adding more visual cues to guide users through the site.
  • Improving the responsiveness of interactive elements like quizzes and games.
  • Incorporating user feedback to make the content more engaging.

The header component on the main homepage underwent several iterations, based on feedback from kids.

An image of the original RSPCA NextGen website, called RSPCA Kids
An image of the developed Next Gen website, with a strong hero image of Birdgirl and bold text
An image of the developed Next Gen website, with a strong hero image of birdgirl, animal illustrations, and a paragraph of text
The current NextGen website, with four colourful animal illustrations, and four buttons that lead to Stories, Videos, Activities and Jokes

Build and Development

The RSPCA NextGen site was built using Liferay CMS. The development process involved several key phases:

1. Collaboration and Planning

I worked closely with the content team, brand representatives and IT department to ensure the site aligned with RSPCA's mission and brand guidelines. This collaboration helped define the site’s objectives and ensure that all requirements were met.

2. Template Creation

To facilitate easy content management, I developed customisable templates within Liferay. These templates allow content creators to efficiently add and update content while maintaining consistency in design and functionality across the site.

3. Layout and Design

Leveraging Liferay’s design system, I created engaging and user-friendly layouts. The site features interactive elements tailored to the needs of its young audience, including jokes and stories. The design emphasises ease of navigation and visual appeal to ensure a positive user experience for both children and parents.

4. Implementation and Testing

After building the core functionalities and integrating the templates, I conducted thorough testing to ensure the site performed well across various devices and browsers. Feedback from initial testing phases helped and address any issues before the final launch.

The result is a vibrant, interactive website that supports RSPCA’s mission to educate and engage its audience. The site has been well-received by children and parents alike, as evidenced by the 76% engagement rate, reflecting the successful implementation of the project’s goals.

A template from inside the Liferay CMS, for activities
A template from inside the Liferay CMS, for stories

Final UI and Ongoing Management

The final RSPCA NextGen site presents a vibrant and engaging user interface designed to captivate and educate its young audience. The site’s UI integrates a range of interactive elements and visually appealing layouts that align with RSPCA’s mission and branding.

User Interface Highlights

The website's design emphasises ease of use and accessibility, ensuring that children can navigate through content intuitively. Key features include:

  • Interactive Elements: Polls designed to engage children and make learning about animal welfare fun.
  • Dynamic Layouts: Responsive and visually appealing layouts that adjust seamlessly across various devices, providing a consistent experience for users.
  • Content Variety: A mix of educational and fun stories, videos and interactive components to keep the content fresh and engaging.

Content Management and Updates

To keep the site relevant and engaging, we have established a detailed content management plan:

  • Weekly Updates: Jokes are refreshed every week to ensure there is always new, entertaining content for users.
  • Quarterly Updates: Stories and other significant content are reviewed and updated every quarter, providing fresh and relevant material that aligns with educational goals and current events.

Innovation and Future Enhancements

We are committed to continually enhancing the site by introducing new features and improvements. Recent innovations include:

  • Joke Component: A new interactive feature allowing users to enjoy jokes, which fosters engagement and interaction.

Regular updates and the addition of new features are key to maintaining user interest and ensuring that the site continues to meet the evolving needs of its audience.