NCS
NCS is a government arm’s length body that helps young people to grow their strengths, build confidence, and meet new people.
My role
Senior Copywriter (with a focus on content design)
Client goal
Different KPIs for different projects
Outcome
All KPIs were met
The process
Working across various projects, my main areas of work were: content design, SEO, and improving internal processes.
Content design
I championed content design on a project to redesign the booking platform. The process involved:
desk research,
writing user stories,
defining language,
improving accessibility,
inclusive design,
collaborating with stakeholders,
and UX writing.
SEO
By writing SEO-friendly blogs, the organic CTR increased three-fold. My approach included:
keyword research,
implementing SEO best practices,
developing new content formats,
and managing stakeholders.
Internal processes
I identified various opportunities to improve and streamline internal processes. These included:
templates for CRM emails,
glossary and writing guidelines,
tools for collaboration,
and inclusivity workshops.
On this page
I’m highlighting three areas of work:
Accessibility
When designing the booking platform, I advocated to make it accessible. This included:
alt text,
contrast,
headings and labels,
touch targets,
legibility.
Alt text
During the design process, I suggested adding images from past NCS experiences. This imagery gave a good impression of what an NCS experience is really like. We added descriptive alt text to for people using screen readers.
Contrast
As per WCAG level AAA recommendations, all text had a minimum contrast ratio of 7:1.
Headings
I made sure the booking platform had a heading hierarchy that gave each page a clear structure.
Labels
Each form field had a label that remained on screen, which is helpful to so many people.
Legibility
The primary brand typeface, Microgramma, ranks poorly for legibility. While it was mandatory to use this brand typeface, the team agreed to:
only use it in H1 headings and buttons,
not use it for body copy or subheadings,
not use all caps.
I also left-aligned the text to improve readability.
Useability
Wherever possible, I reduced the number steps needed to perform an action. One example is replacing a dropdown with buttons (which reduced the number of clicks from three down to one).
On the left is the original design. On the right is my revised version, with buttons instead of a dropdown and reduced text.
On the left is the original design. On the right is my revised version with visible form field labels and a simplified heading.
Inclusive design
It was important to me that the booking platform had an inclusive user experience. Methods included by:
creating a sense of belonging,
validating the user experience,
and adapting language to include all users.
Education
Users need enter where they went to school. The description text acknowledged that not all people attend school:
‘Homeschooled or not attending school? Go ahead and enter that into the box.’
Address
Users needed to enter their address. The description text acknowledged different circumstances:
‘No fixed address? Enter any recent address. Living at more than one address? Enter one of your postcodes.’
Emotions
Research showed that young people often felt anxious, shy, fearful, or worried about going on an NCS experience. To help validate and accept these feelings as normal, I added reviews from past participants to the homepage.
Gender
Research showed that young people often don’t enter their given name while using the previous registration process. On the booking platform, rather than being asked for ‘First Name, Last Name’, they only see one field: ‘Your Name’.
The description text reads: ‘This could be your birth name, a nickname, or a chosen name — whichever you prefer’.
This change felt important for being inclusive of teenagers who are trans or whose name does not match what is written on their identity documents.
The first step in the registration process, where young people enter their name.
SEO
By implementing SEO best practices, the organic CTR increased three-fold. My approach included:
keyword research,
clear heading structures,
and influencing stakeholders about the importance of SEO.
SEO is more than just keywords. It’s about creating good quality content that resonates with users. That’s why I introduced new content including:
a new NCS Writers’ Club,
and a new blog format called ‘Been there, slayed that’.
NCS Writers Club
I created a new version of Writers’ Club, which resulted in:
higher dwell times,
higher engagement rates,
and efficiencies for the internal team.
I started the project with two goals:
Increase the number of high-quality blog submissions that resonate with the NCS target audience.
Embody the strategy of NCS: helping young people grow their strengths.
I ran the new format as a six-session trial. This comprised of:
one introductory session,
four Q&As with writing professionals,
and one wrap-up and feedback session.
I designed a short anonymous feedback form to gain insights to inform the next iteration of the NCS Writers’ Club. The feedback showed that 100% of participants:
want to continue writing for the NCS blog,
and would recommend the Writers’ Club to others.
Been there, slayed that
To boost youth voice on the blog, I introduced a new content format called ‘Been there, slayed that’.
The format consisted of six questions:
Why did you decide to go on an NCS experience?
What did you most enjoy?
What did you find challenging?
If you could do it all again, what's one thing you'd do differently?
Which memory from your experience will stay with you for life?
If you had to sum up your experience in three words, what would they be?
Users could submit their answers (and photos or videos) via a simple form on the website.
This blog format proved a hit, with enough young people submitting their answers to allow for an ongoing weekly series. The format regularly made it into the top 5 blogs of the month.
The Q&As were designed to help young people build their writing skills. Q&As were on developing storylines, finding a voice, editing, and SEO.
Streamlining processes
I identified various opportunities to improve and streamline internal processes. Examples include:
Templates for CRM emails. I created templates which improved efficiency and saved the team time, stress, and misunderstandings.
Glossary and writing guidelines. I co-created a document to improve organisation-wide consistency on language and terms.
Tools for collaboration. I introduced various tools to enable and improve collaboration. These included Figma for prototyping, crazy 8’s ideation sessions, and cross-department project reviews.
Becoming more inclusive. I co-created and ran a network-wide workshop on inclusivity with a focus on neurodiversity, teamwork, and feedback.