Lord Crewe’s Charity

Design Culture was commissioned by this 300-year-old, Christian grant-giving charity to partner on defining its digital strategy, with a particular focus on determining what would be needed in a new website, and delivering a digital roadmap for the Charity that would help it leverage digital technology to better cater for the needs of its audiences, and achieve its charitable objectives.

Defining a digital strategy

The insight stage included research, immersion and a series of 1-to-1 stakeholder conversations to understand audience perceptions and needs, as well as an audit of the existing website, social channels and available analytics data. We brought together the findings of our research in a digital strategy that included a series of recommendations.

The primary recommendation was to design and develop a new website that would effectively communicate and serve Lord Crewe’s Charity’s purpose.

The research concluded that the primary purpose of the new website should be to increase engagement within the Clergy of the support on offer and drive an uptake in grants, so the Charity benefits more people. And its secondary purpose should be to raise awareness within all audiences of the Charity’s Christian, social purpose, by telling its story in a modern and relevant way, and demonstrating the positive impact of its grant-funding and activities over 300 years to the present day.

The strategy included the definition of a technical solution for grant applications, utilising Airtable to streamline the submission process and enhance administrative efficiency.

A proposed site map and a rationalised, audience-led navigation structure were delivered as part of the recommendations. All of which meant we were in strong position to move confidently into delivering the website.

Delivering the website

Using the site map and proposed navigation as start-points we held a series of requirement gathering sessions to build a picture of what would be needed to facilitate the Charity’s content, and create the necessary user journeys and functionality to deliver to users’ needs.

High-fidelity wireframes enabled the client to visualise the overall layout and understand the capabilities of the flexible content modules proposed. This visual representation facilitated  discussion that ensured that the website would align with Lord Crewe’s Charity’s goals.

The homepage is designed to clearly position Lord Crewe’s Charity to audiences and clearly communicate the website’s Online Value Proposition – e.g what it is that visitors can expect to be able to find, learn or functionally do on the website.

The education grant application process is now fully digital, which is a significant move forward for the Charity who were manually having to copy and paste information submitted via email. Similarly, other grant types can now be applied for online including the Charity’s Family Grant and Resettlement Grant. This is driving an uptake in applications, and has significantly reduced the amount of manual administrative work involved. And with an advanced set up of Google Analytics delivered as standard within the project, it also means we can accurately track and report to build a picture of application data year-to-year.

Flexible content modules provide the Charity with the opportunity to showcase its impact in different and engaging ways, from a simple animated stats bar on the homepage to a full image impact banner or impact statement module that can be employed on any page.

Bringing the brand up to date

As part of the website redesign, Design Culture evolved the Lord Crewe’s Charity brand identity in a way that would retain its existing equity within the local community. The charity’s logo and distinctive maroon red and grey colours were maintained as the brand’s core elements. To add warmth and enhance the brand’s appeal, a complementary colour palette was introduced.

Two new typefaces were incorporated to refresh and modernise the overall visual identity – a contemporary serif font to speak to the Charity’s established nature and rich history, supported by a highly accessible and functional sans-serif.

Additionally, we advised on employing an updated tone of voice, to be welcoming, inclusive and aid understanding of the Charity’s position as an active, supporting charity that is ‘here to help’.

All of these elements have contributed to moving the brand forward in a way that makes the charity welcoming, friendly and and communicats its modern-day relevancy and ‘here to help’ nature.

Successful project delivery

We worked closely and collaboratively with the client on content, taking a shared approach to curating and populating the website ready for launch. The entire project, including the website redesign and technical solution implementation, was completed in just over six months.

Initial Results

The newly implemented grant application solution using Airtable has proven successful, making the process easier and more accessible for applicants. In addition this improvement has streamlined administrative tasks and overall increased the charity’s efficiency in fulfilling its grant-giving objectives.

Through a comprehensive digital strategy and a redesigned website, Design Culture has enabled Lord Crewe’s Charity to maximise its digital capabilities and effectively engage with its target audiences. The project’s success is evident in the improved grant application process and the positive initial outcomes achieved.

With the new digital foundation in place, Lord Crewe’s Charity is well-positioned to further advance its mission of supporting the Clergy, Education, and the Local Community in North-East England.